


Sleight of Hand

by DarlingOfDathomir



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: A/B/O, Accidental Bonding, Alpha Armitage Hux, Alpha Kylo Ren, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst with a Happy Ending, Armitage Hux is Not Nice, Canon-Typical Violence, Claiming Bites, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Dominant Armitage Hux, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, General Hux - Freeform, General Hux Doesn't Die, Knotting, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Masturbation, Mildly Dubious Consent, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2020-09-06 04:26:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20285377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarlingOfDathomir/pseuds/DarlingOfDathomir
Summary: As if Kylo Ren wasn't bad enough, General Hux now has yet another force user to deal with. However, there's a charade going on in front of the whole First Order, and when he uncovers the lie he's forced to be complicit in the cover-up in a very... unconventional way.After making a spur-of-the-moment attempt on the newcomer's life, he soon finds himself fighting to keep something he thought he'd never have.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! This is my first A/B/O fic I'm working on as a gift for a fellow Hux stan. Please let me know if I've messed anything up. I'm kind of just writing this for the two of us so it's not beta'd as thoroughly as my other stuff so there might be the occasional error every here and there. Planning to update this weekly <3 
> 
> I hope you enjoy, and long live our precious angry space ginger! <3

  
-  
-  
-  
  
_A few months prior to the events of The Rise of Skywalker..._

  
  
Snoke’s death was not the end of his reach.  
  
The creature had enough foresight to prepare secret transmissions set to activate on his death; one for Kylo, and one for the General. Hux received a data packet regarding his financial business as well as the contacts and holdings for Snoke’s mighty mineral empire. Kylo had gone off to some dark corner of the galaxy but refused to tell him why. Hux just rolled his eyes at the secrecy- he’d been so busy getting the financial affairs in order to keep production going that he couldn’t be bothered with him; which is why when he requested a transport to wild space Hux just waved him on.  
  
It was a decision Hux lamented.  
  
Had he known exactly _what _Kylo was retrieving he would have had Phasma rig the ship to blow ten times over. He berated himself for being so negligent. First his hesitation in the throne room, then Crait, and now this; It would be the third time Hux could have eliminated his arch-nemesis but failed to seize the opportunity.  
  
After two weeks away, Hux stood with his guard and top officers flanking as Kylo requested. He had enjoyed his time without the irritating Alpha that usually lurked just over his shoulder. The ramp to the command shuttle lowered with a hiss, and _two_ figures in black emerged from the clouds of hydraulic steam. Mining rights and shadow companies weren’t the only additional resource Snoke had hidden in secret- tucked in the far reaches of wild space was a second apprentice.  
  
The corner of his eye twitched from the physical effort of holding back a scream.  
  
_Two? Another bloody Kylo Ren? I can barely handle the kriffing one I have!!_  
  
It appeared to be female, her outfit more reminiscent of Snoke’s penchant for gaudy things than Kylo’s weathered tunic. A shock of red silk was draped over each shoulder, covering a velveteen black tunic, all of which was cinched with a thick belt similar to Kylo’s, except it glittered with tiny stones of kyber. A black skirt flared out with each step, and a thick black robe billowed out behind her.  
  
_Typical, dramatic, force-senstive rubbish._  
  
Her frame suggested a Beta, possibly an Omega, but he was fairly certain all force users were Alphas. He could tell she was trying to do her best to puff and fill her frame, typical of an Alpha, but it was her obnoxiously harsh scent that put his back up that proved it. Apparently, the mandatory suppressants interfered with the force so its holy wielders got to walk around stinking to high heaven of pheromones. Thankfully, the blockers made their presence at least more bearable as the medication lessened the effect on the crew.  
  
She was noticeably shorter than the man at her side, and he estimated her to be about 5’4 natural height.  
  
_Small enough to kick out an airlock with ease. Perfect. _  
  
A heavy black hood hung low, a mask vaguely reminiscent of Kylo’s old helmet appearing to cover her face. The eerie mechanized breathing got louder as they approached. While he wasn’t force-sensitive, Hux had mastered the nuance of body language, and he could already tell they seemed none too pleased with each other.  
  
“General Hux. This is the second apprentice to Snoke, Escha Tau. She-”  
  
“Master of the Knights of Tau.” Her modulated voice interrupted to tack the title onto the end, causing Kylo to slowly look down and glare at her, dropping his awkward attempt at formality to be the beast Hux knew so well.  
  
“And where are your Knights, apprentice?” he growled.  
  
“The same place yours are, _Ren. _And I am no longer an apprentice. I was under the impression this was settled but it is apparently a topic we will discuss further... in privacy.” He squared his shoulders and stood over her with a snarl but she stayed facing forward, refusing to look at Kylo as she spoke.  
  
The General pulled his lips in a tight line, beyond irritated and not wanting to get caught in the middle of an argument between two Alpha force users.  
  
_Stars, they’re all insufferable, aren’t they? Can’t even stand each other._  
  
He would have laughed if he wasn’t afraid he’d thought it a little too loud. Kylo had always had an issue with Hux’s Alpha designation, though he did his best not to flaunt it. He’d demanded a Beta co-commander from Snoke years ago when they first met, not wanting to deal with the “aggression” of another Alpha.  
  
Hux took specific pride in his self-control and only called on his more animal nature when absolutely necessary. Even then, he never devolved into the fits of physical fury that many Alphas could be prone to when displeased. At that moment, Hux recalled that he was above posturing and clasped his hands in front of him to interrupt the stand-off with a bored tone.  
  
“Shall we adjourn to my office? I believe we have much to discuss.”  
  
“Not right now. See that quarters are prepared for her, I’ll debrief you later.”  
  
“Does the First Order really require a General to prepare a living space? We _do_ have much to discuss- I trust your men are more than capable of moving my things.”  
  
Hux was frozen- he didn’t know what to do, his own lip curling into a slight snarl at the tension of the moment.  
  
Kylo continued glaring at her, jaw muscle flexing. Suddenly his features softened, a deadly gleam still sparkling in his eyes; the motion sent a chill down the General’s spine.  
  
“Alright then.” His voice was calm, but he shouldered past Hux and stormed to the exit that lead to the lifts.  
  
Hux sighed and trailed behind them, wondering if her presence was actually a blessing in disguise.  
  
_Ren finally has someone as infuriating as himself to deal with. I might even get some peace from this tasteful turn of vengeance. Perhaps she’ll challenge him and they’ll both off each other._  
  
When they reached the lifts Kylo used the force to slam the doors shut before Hux could enter. He walked over to the second lift, grateful he wouldn’t have to share such a small space with all that tension. He fought the urge to put his ear to the wall- he was fairly certain he could hear Kylo’s bass roar echo down the neighboring elevator shaft.  
  
_Good. Suffer._  
  
Kylo waited a moment after the doors closed to turn on her.

“You’re acting like a kriffing fool! I told you Hux is the most dangerous thing on this ship and in a matter of seconds you start giving him ammunition. He’s going to try to play us against each other, you know that? He’s probably thinking of something right now!”  
  
He wasn’t wrong- Hux was mulling the most divisive issues to start with first, specifically the ones he and Kylo couldn’t agree on.  
  
“I’m not afraid of him,” she scoffed, “My time in wild space kept me sharp- don’t project your bureaucratic paranoia on me.”  
  
Kylo spun on her, one hand flinging the hood of her robe back and the other grabbing her by the throat. The smooth grace in which he picked her up so effortlessly was terrifying. He pinned her against the wall with his much larger body mass, growling in her face.  
  
“I’m not afraid him _or _you, Escha. There’s a reason Snoke chose _me_ to lead and tucked you away under a rock.” She narrowed her eyes but he could feel the panicked heartbeat rising in her throat and just the _tiniest_ scent of fear. The mask she wore stopped just at her cheekbones, forming a crescent of smooth black metal, the ventilators hidden beneath two grates at the hinge of her jawbone. He took his other hand and ran a finger down the side of it, stopping at the release button.  
  
His voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned inches from her face. “Or have you forgotten?”  
  
She remained rigid in his grasp, but as he started to push on the latch she conceded, going limp and averting her eyes in submission.  
  
“Don’t make me remind you again.”  
-  
  
Hux noted the change in demeanor as they stepped off the lift; the arrogance in her posture all but vanished. When they entered the office he motioned for them to sit, not even having to turn around to know they’d both refuse. There was a small coffee table to the right of his desk, and the electric kettle was still decently, blessedly full of caf. It was against his better judgment, but he decided to apply a little pressure to feel out the boundaries.  
  
“I’d offer, but I’m assuming you can’t,” Hux turned to look over his shoulder and motioned over his face, “What with the apparatus and all.” He caught Kylo’s mouth twitch into the smallest of smirks, while the hooded figure didn’t react at all.  
  
He sat in the large leather chair behind his desk and leaned back slightly, doing his best to project an air of confidence as he sipped the slightly too hot beverage. They stood in silence for a moment, Hux refusing to initiate the conversation. They were here (technically) to report to _him_ after all. Finally, she spoke.  
  
“Where are you on the salvaging of the Supremacy, General? It was our master’s highest point of pride, I do hope it’s not still crumbling amongst the stars.”  
  
“Hux has been more fixated on finding a planet to recreate his failed Starkiller than tending to repairs.”  
  
Hux sat his mug down with a huff. “Starkiller was _not _a failure- it was a glaring success, thank you. The current state of the Hosnian System is a testament to what a fierce machine it was.” _The biggest failure on Starkiller was you. _  
  
He didn’t mean to think it so loudly, but she interrupted before Kylo could snatch him up by the throat.  
  
“_Supreme Leader, w_hy haven’t _you_ spearheaded the project? We need that ship functional as soon as possible and there are files on the Supremacy I need to recover. Snoke recorded all of his dealings, and there’s particular information that he didn’t keep on the Iron Dawn.”  
  
Hux and Kylo both froze. Footage of him reaching for his blaster could be considered treason if Kylo wished it, and Kylo was terrified of the true nature of Snoke’s death being revealed. Any right he had to claim succession by slaying Snoke himself had been corrupted by his lies already told regarding the fight in the throne room. That, and he hadn’t properly challenged their old leader. In turn, however, Hux would be looked at as a weak-willed coward for both _thinking _about shooting a downed man, and not being Alpha enough to pull the trigger. It was a lose/lose for both of them.  
  
She took the sudden silence as evidence that something was amiss and tucked it away to mull on later.  
  
“I-I assure you that won’t be necessary,” Hux stuttered to break the pause, “ Snoke left me information regarding his suppliers and other various contacts. I can have it sent over to you.” He quickly picked up his datapad and started tapping away.  
  
“Do that. I’m taking over the Supremacy restoration. That way you can continue scouting for planets, and Kylo… you can continue hunting down your desert girl.”  
  
Rather than fight against her giving orders Kylo simply agreed, his stomach turning at the possibility that the incident with Rey in the throne room was recorded.   
  
“I’ll allow it. General Hux, show her around the ship. I have more valuable things that require my attention.” He spun on heel and left without another word.  
  
Hux was noticeably more nervous once he was alone with the strange newcomer. At least he knew Kylo needed him alive, which brought him some sense of safety in his presence; she was a complete stranger that he hadn’t gotten a full read on, and he found it unsettling.  
  
“You aren’t familiar with the layout of our ships? They’re all incredibly similar, I… excuse me, _what are you doing?”_  
  
She slowly walked around the side of his desk, grabbing the top of his chair and turning him to face her. He could just see her eyes glittering above the curve of her half-mask.  
  
_So it’s certainly a human, and those can be killed quite easily. At least I have that relief. _  
  
“I’ve been told you’re quite a dangerous man, General Hux.”  
  
He couldn’t help the flare of pride that rose up in his chest.  
  
“And what else have you been told about me?”  
  
“Nothing that I can’t see for myself.”  
  
She reached out to touch his face and he slapped her hand away. “You’ll stay _out_ of my head!” he snarled.  
  
_Mistake. _   
  
But where he expected a force choke or any other of the myriad of punishments force users usually saw fit to dole out on him- there was nothing. Instead she took a step closer, standing almost between his knees as she loomed over him. He remained seated, refusing to react to her posturing and narrowing his eyes as he returned her stare.

“Show me your ship, General.”  
  
“I can send a map over to your holopad, I-” he stopped as he felt the ghost of fingertips around his neck.  
  
“Did I ask for a map?” The amusement had dropped from her tone. He pushed his chair back so he could stand and straightened his uniform, making a point to use his height to his advantage, forcing her to crane her neck to look up at him.  
  
He could feel the heat pouring off her, and something, he couldn’t quite place it, smelled… strange. Hormone suppressants were standard order, but they more-so made the affectations of their biology milder than completely erasing them. Years spent being both on and around those that took suppressants had weakened his sense of smell. Lost in trying to find it he scented the air around her and she quickly stepped back.  
  
“_Did I ask. For. A. Map??” _  
  
He snapped back to himself. “No, no, you did not. I have pressing issues, but I suppose they can wait.”  
  
“They can.”  
  
She followed behind him quietly as he rattled off different facts and points of interest about the ship. Personnel stopped to stare as they passed, and every so often Hux would catch a pained expression on a fellow officer’s face. Apparently, they were just as thrilled as he was about the new apparition come to haunt the halls. 

Betas sighed, some Alphas squared themselves subconsciously at the scent of her, and Omegas, well, there were _ very _ few active Omegas in the Order, the curse of their biology usually keeping them from rising too high up in the ranks. He was disgusted to see some of the few they crossed stared at the newcomer with a glimmer of interest in their eyes.  
  
Despite how frustrated he was at the waste of his time, Hux couldn’t help but find himself actually enjoying it. It was so easy to forget the magnitude of what was going on around him. He spent so much time tucked away in his office handling the abstract details of running a war machine that the physical reality of it all got away from him.  
  
He’d brought her to one of the overseer stations that overlooked their largest hangar, hundreds of techs and troopers milling about below.  
  
_ All of this is mine. It functions and exists because of me. I should remember that. Mine. _

  
He had never had the time to find a life mate, and the few times he did consider the interested parties sniffing around it all came back to wanting some prestige for themselves. He didn’t care, though. He considered himself bonded to the First Order...  
  
  
and he was fine with that.  
  
  
  
Hux realized he’d been standing in silence for some time, lost in thought, but when he looked over she seemed just as lost as well, a gloved palm against the glass, mesmerized.  
  
“Snoke told me what the First Order had built, but seeing it in person… words don’t do it justice.”  
  
“Deadly organization and the ability to crush any resistance beneath our heels will be how we win the galaxy and keep it. I’ve dedicated my life to this.”  
  
“Snoke also told me you’re a prideful man… but you have a right to be.”  
  
_ Perhaps I could grow to like her. _  
  
He brought the knuckle of his index finger to his lips as he considered the possibility, but was immediately distracted by the scent of her lingering on his glove from where he’d smacked her hand away earlier. It was definitely Alpha, and he _hated_ the scent of other Alphas, but there was something else, and it was driving him mad trying to place it.


	2. Chapter 2

“I kriffing _hate_ that bitch.” He growled to Phasma. “She hasn’t even been here a week and already has three mines, three very _ large _ , very _ important _ mines diverting their resources to that sith-damned ship.” He was pleased during their first meeting that she’d told him to focus on building a second Starkiller, but it quickly turned into him having to sign off on diverting raw materials to the Supremacy more so than getting any actual work done on his own project.  
  
Phasma was one of the few, if not the _ only _ of the other Alphas he could stand to be around. She’d found a way to tool what nature bestowed upon her into an insidious brutality; what made her different and respected in Hux’s eyes was that it was indeed savage and brutal but neither wanton nor uncontrolled.  
  
“Have you discussed this with Ren?” He also liked that she refused to call him _ Supreme Leader _ unless she was in his presence. It was one of the small acts of rebellion he got to enjoy.  
  
“He’s so obsessed with trying to track that filthy scavenger across the galaxy that he could care less. If she weren’t an Alpha you’d think he was permanently trapped in rut searching her down. ”  
  
“I believe intel stated she was a Beta, sir. Most Resistance are. It’s likely why they’re such poor soldiers.” There was a thick note of disdain at the end of her sentence; The dishonorable way Beta FN-2187 defeated her was still a very bitter memory.  
  
“Scavenger hunt or not, I won’t have that Tau woman interfering with my plans in this way, and I don’t need Ren to sign off on them. She has no place here until she earns it and she needs to be reminded of that. It _ will _ be addressed.”  
-  
  
There were twice-weekly meetings in which Hux was forced to endure Kylo's presence. The first one was smaller, a handful of captains and a guest specialist or two to assist in tackling specific issues, and the second added on the heads of various departments. They were held in a large, narrow room near the bridge, with a holoprojector at the head of it. Hux usually sat with his back to it as he lead most of the discussions, with Kylo sitting at the head of the table at the far end. In his arguing with the director of the Corthan diatum mine he’d lost track of time and burst through the doors right at 1100. Peavey had taken his place and was ready to begin the meeting without him.  
  
Hux huffed and was about to tell him off when Kylo held up a hand. “He’s already started… just sit down, General. I’m sure whatever it was that kept you was very important.”  
  
Of course, the only open place was at Kylo’s left side. Everyone feared sitting so near the tempestuous man, and even worse was that it was also directly across from his new enemy. It would appear that the force couldn’t read datapads though, and her hood was pushed just far back enough for him to almost make out her face underneath the black fabric. She acted like he wasn’t even there, lost in what she was reading and occasionally looking to the front of the room as Peavy pointed at maps and pulled up various star systems.  
  
He was only half-listening, glancing up every time she shifted. It felt like he was getting one over on them, the ever mystic ever obnoxious force users. He’d run her personnel files, and even in those she was hooded, the color of her eyes even left off the medical files. He found it absurd… and a little bit unnerving. If she had donned an officer’s uniform and dropped the ludicrous mask he wouldn’t be able to tell if she’d walked right past him in the hallways. For a moment he almost felt a little embarrassed for himself at how fixated he was on seeing her face. 

  
_ It’s a safety hazard, a security risk. I’m simply being sensible.  
_  
  
Kylo’s outburst at news regarding the Resistance brought him back to reality.  
  
“You’re telling me they raided an entire shipment planetside, and you just let them escape?!”  
  
“Supreme Leader, the blaze was growing out of control, it was imperative that, hck!” The Captain of Acquisitions grasped at his throat as Kylo clawed his hand out.  
  
Escha flicked her hand, breaking the bond and letting the man fall into his chair, gasping. “He did the right thing. If we let them burn all of the processing centers for our mines we won’t be able to build the ships to chase them with. Corthanian diatum is _ vital _ to the recovery of the Supremacy.”  
  
Kylo rushed his feet with a snarl and she did the same, the pair glaring at each other. Hux wasn’t sure what kind of telepathic battle it was they were having, but he was wishing he was a bit further away if it came to blows. He could smell the rage coming off their leader, but her scent remained unchanged. _Odd._  
  
_ “Ahem.” _ Hux broke the stare off and they both diverted their attention to the General. “I believe the remedy to this situation is to use a similar mine of ours to lure them, one close to a hyper lane, and ensure that we have a Star Destroyer on said route. Station unmarked scouter ships along nearby lanes. We will lose some material, but we may be able to follow them back to whatever garbage pit they’re masquerading as a base.”  
  
Escha lowered herself back with Kylo staring her down as he too slowly returned to his seat.  
  
“That being said, Supreme Leader, we do have an issue with raw materials. The Supremacy project, while important, has essentially crippled the manufacture of parts we’ll need for the second Starkiller base. I have almost twenty different project managers with their work suspended and I can’t even _ begin _ to give them a time frame because _ you _ keep snatching up shipments.” He pointed at her to accentuate his point and she looked up at him, enough light reaching her face to where he could almost make out the color of her eyes.  
  
_ Blue? Green maybe? Why do you care, you’re being ridiculous. _  
  
She cocked her head to the side before replying. “You have an entire army at your disposal, General. I believe the remedy to a dearth of material is to pick up more mines.”   
  
He took the smoothness in her reply as a subtle mockery, and slammed his fist on the table in frustration. Not a way he would normally behave, but something about her was eating at him, an air of wrongness about her he couldn’t quite place. She just… wasn’t _ right. _  
  
“It’s not a kriffing marketplace, _ Escha Tau _ ,” he growled out her name, “One doesn’t just simply go out and _ ‘pick up mines.’” _ The tension at the far end of the table was blossoming out to the other officers and they shifted uncomfortably in their seats.  
  
“You’re more knowledgeable than I on this matter, General. I am grateful that you are the one overseeing it.” Again, that cool, modulated tone just made him that much angrier.  
  
Kylo was clearly amused by the bickering between them, and decided to push it a little further. “General Hux, she has a good point. Have some of our pocketed senators recommend mines. Offer to buy them out, and take them by force should they refuse. Then, you’ll have _ picked up _ your mines.”  
  
Hux exhaled sharply, everyone in the room tense while they waited to see how he’d react. He blinked twice, responding without breaking eye contact from the two reflections of light under the hood across from him.  
  
“Fine. As you wish, _ Supreme Leader. _ ”  
  
He should have known something was off in his judgment when he complemented Peavey on how he ran the meeting, going so far as to allow him to present them from now on. Hux had a death grip on control, and it didn’t go without notice when he relinquished a little to someone that was rumored to be gunning for his position. Unbeknownst to him, it actually ended up playing to his benefit, making Hux look as though he was comfortable in the security of his position and didn’t view Peavey as a threat.  
  
All this so he could play his little game, showing up just close enough to the start of the meeting to sit across from her, hoping to get at least one step closer to figuring out the mystery of the woman in the mask. **  
** **  
** Two weeks had passed, and he still couldn’t get her out of his head. The irritating calm of her behavior picked at him, and he couldn’t get that one note of her scent out of his nose. He kept telling himself he ought to stay his own course and manipulate them from afar, but eventually his obsession got the best of him. He swiped to the tracker on her datapad and checked the cameras to see her alone on one of the observation decks near the bridge. Though the hour was late, he made his way down to hopefully intercept her.  
  
She heard the soft swish of electronic doors behind her, and could tell by the clipped staccato of bootheels who was interrupting her moment of solitary reflection.  
  
“You’re incredibly transparent, you know.” he called out as he approached. He stopped beside her, hands clasped behind his back, looking out at the stars.  
  
“How so?”  
  
“You want the Supremacy for yourself, it’s glaringly obvious.”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
He was taken aback by the bluntness and answered with a huff. “Well if you think Kylo Ren won’t commandeer it as soon as it’s repaired you’re an idiot.”  
  
“He won’t.”  
  
“And what makes you so sure of that?”  
  
“Too many bad memories.”  
  
“You mean what happened with the girl?”  
  
“Ah yes, the _ girl. _ ”  
  
Despite his irritation with her, the derision in her voice suggested that this might be the perfect topic to find common ground with. This could be the wedge to further his plan in pitting the two against each other, and he pushed a little more. His voice dropped to a low, conspiratorial tone.  
  
“I believe it’s safe to say you are just as suspect as I regarding the actual details around Snoke’s death, then.”  
  
“Indeed, but regardless... I’m glad he’s dead. I wish this _ girl _ had acted sooner.”  
  
Hux almost choked and his mind scrambled to think of a not-quite-so-treasonous response when she suddenly turned to look up at him.  
  
“I’m not trying to fight you, Hux. I’m doing what I think is best for the First Order.”  
  
He arched an eyebrow and looked down, the face under her robes just barely visible in the starlight. “As am I.”  
  
“I know, and I respect that.”  
  
“What are you playing at?”  
  
“The sooner we can get the Supremacy finished, the sooner you can break ground for your new Starkiller.”  
  
_ Ah, so she’s trying to get me to relinquish everything to get the Supremacy fixed, ridiculous.  
  
_ “That hulking ship isn’t going anywhere, and the sooner we can break ground on the new Starkiller the quicker we can regain the power we’ve lost.”  
  
“Mm. And what planet have you chosen?”  
  
“Hoth. It’s incredibly similar to our last choice, which-”  
  
“Which was costly, difficult, and _ failed.” _  
  
“It. Did not. _ Fail! _” He growled and lunged forward till the edge of her robes just barely brushed the front of his greatcoat. Away from prying eyes he had no shame in letting his Alpha instincts come to the surface. Rather than return the body language, she simply stood there, unmoving.  
  
“Mm. So where is your Starkiller now?”  
  
Her attitude pushed him just over the edge and he snatched the front of her tunic, yanking her up towards him as he snarled. “It was _ sabotaged!!!”  
  
_ At the motion her hood slipped back, finally revealing her face. He found himself glaring into wide, bright blue eyes. Blonde hair was tightly plaited in two braids pinned into buns, and aside from the half mask she looked surprisingly... normal_. _  
  
That wasn’t his only victory, as he scented the sudden tinge of fear in the room showing that his display worked. It was different than an alpha scent, though, and despite the suppressants, Hux found it incredibly distracting. His face crinkled in confusion.  
  
“What’s wrong with you? Are you ill? Some type of sickness?” With an uncharacteristic disregard for personal space he tilted his head and leant down to breathe her in when suddenly he found himself on the floor across the room.  
  
She was standing with both palms out, frozen after forcing him off her. Rather than threatening him or a further assault from the force she fled from the room, walking as quickly as she could without running. He slowly returned to his feet, slightly dazed, and held a gloved hand up to his nose. Past the harsh stench of an unsuppressed Alpha there was something soft, dancing just at the edge of his senses.  
  
_There’s something amiss, but what the kriff is it?? _  
  
If there was one person that knew anything, it was Ren. Curiosity, and little bit of paranoia (lest it was some contagious disease), overrode his derision for the man and Hux found himself pressing the comm button outside of the Supreme Leader’s quarters. He did his best not to roll his eyes when the doors opened to reveal a shirtless Kylo Ren behind them.  
  
“What’s so important that it couldn’t wait till tomorrow?”  
  
“You need to tell me what’s wrong with your companion. If it’s something that could endanger others on the ship I need to be made aware.”  
  
Kylo narrowed his eyes and stepped to the side, motioning for Hux to enter- the action confirming his suspicions. It intrigued him to see multiple projectors around the room with different trade routes highlighted in their miniature star maps. He assumed Kylo spent most of the day moping about the ship or immersed in mystical force nonsense. Kylo could see the surprise in his face and felt rather insulted.  
  
“I take the First Order more seriously than you think, General. An ultimate, crushing victory is my main goal… and I can walk that path in ways you cannot.”  
  
“Yes, well, what I may lack in the force I make up for in years of dedication and training, and I can tell you right now that the route you have pulled up on the left, through Hutt space, is a complete waste of time. We’re mining for ourselves, not to feed the bellies of smuggler’s ships.”  
  
Kylo waved his hand and all the projectors cut off at once. “_That _was not for supply runs. Now tell me… what has happened that would bring you to my quarters at this time of night asking questions about Escha Tau? Has she done something?”  
  
“The mask. Her behavior, the very _ smell _ of her it’s… something is wrong, and I’m surely not the only one that’s noticed. I need to be aware of the status of the upper ranks should there be a weakness that could compromise the First Order, it’s my responsibility.”  
  
Kylo’s fingers slowly curled into fists as he tried to swallow back his irritation with the situation. To him, their ability to use the force set them apart and above the rest of the military ranks. If there was a weakness found in her, it might suddenly make Kylo less of a threat in their eyes; and that was something he simply couldn’t abide. However, Hux clearly knew there was something going on, and if he denied it now it would make him dig that much deeper. If he tried to wipe it from his mind he would eventually reach the same conclusion again. Kylo decided to give him something small, hoping it would be enough to whet his curiosity.  
  
“It’s a… physical affliction. The mask enables her to… function more efficiently. Nothing contagious, nothing compromising, and nothing that concerns _you_. Now… get. out.”  
  
The admission only served to make Hux that much more determined to find out what exactly that “affliction” was, and how he could use it to his advantage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be up Tuesday :)


	3. Chapter 3

Hux should have felt a small sense of victory at finally seeing the face whose shadowy glimpses had evaded him for so long. Instead, Ren’s reluctant confession created a new challenge to replace it. Research regarding maladies that could affect one’s pheromones was fruitless- there were so many possibilities that he didn’t even know where to start. He felt like an idiot, laid back in his bed with one of his gloves pressed to his nose as he huffed the traces of her scent. Somehow he just _knew_ the answer was right there, taunting him.  
  
In a way, seeing her made it all even worse. He kept replaying those few seconds of their altercation over and over. Powder blue eyes widened in shock? Fear? Surprise? He was lucky she didn’t attack him outright when he grabbed her. Reflections of starlight flying by shimmered in her hair; it almost looked too gold to exist in the depths of space. One thin tendril had fallen loose, and he was sure that if he’d brushed it back behind her ear he’d feel smooth skin beneath his finger tips.  
  
He idly wondered what she’d look like with her hair down, how soft it would feel woven between his fing-  
  
_ Wait. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ This is not how one regards an enemy, what in the Sith hells am I doing? _ _  
_ _  
_ He frowned and tossed his glove aside. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t realize his breathing had quickened, arousal beginning to awaken beneath his belt.  
  
_ No, no no no absolutely kriffing not!  
_ _  
_ He leapt out of bed and stormed to the refresher, disgusted with himself. Instead of his usual relaxing shower before retiring for the evening, tonight the water was cold as he could possibly stand.  
-

Kylo intended to find Escha in the morning and warn her of the General’s growing suspicions, but a familiar twinkle in the light wiped all other thoughts from his mind. He had just clasped the buckle on his belt when he felt her at his back. Rey was standing a few feet away, lower lip caught between her teeth.  
  
The bond was strong enough that he could scent her in the air around him. Betas were free from the intense biological urges that plagued Alphas and Omegas, and their pheromones were much gentler in comparison. But still, he could make out what smelled like sun-baked sand and the light aroma of flowers on a summer breeze. She smelled like warmth and light and sun and everything he was _not_.  
  
This was the first time the bond had connected them since Crait, and neither one was sure where they stood with the other. It was Kylo that finally broke the silence.  
  
“What do you want?”  
  
“To tell you it’s not too late, Ben. You can still-” He had no interest in hearing the same tired spiels, and he could tell that _ she _ even knew it was a lie. He turned around and her eyes darted to the side, looking everywhere but his face, arms crossed over her chest.  
  
“Why are you so nervous?”  
  
“I’m not, I, I’m _ not. _ Just seeing you again, is well, it’s a bit much.” He tilted his chin as his gaze burned into her, and then, the unexpected; he smiled ever so slightly.  
  
“No, it’s not. It’s that we’re close, aren’t we? I can feel you out there… somewhere… adrift in space but undeniably _ closer. _ Spare me the effort. Tell me the planet where you've hidden away.”  
  
It was her turn to smile. “You’ll never find us. While you waste your time scouring space the Resistance is getting stronger every day.”  
  
At that he growled and lunged forward, but she disappeared into emptiness before he could reach her. He stormed over to his desk, still crowded with mini holoprojectors that went flying as he dug around for his datapad. It was almost time for the smaller meeting of the week, something he considered a waste of his time. If he didn’t think Hux would try and displace him he wouldn’t bother attending at all.  
-

Hux was surprised to see that what had become his usual spot was taken by Captain Harkan, who looked rather displeased to be there. In fact, the last available seat was at the far opposite end beside Peavy. He assumed his stunt in the observatory had made its point and wondered if it was intended to be subtle disrespect, or that she wanted to stay far away from him lest he figured out what that damned scent was.  
  
Or perhaps Harkan was angling to get something from the pair of force-sensitive brutes? She’d had her eye on taking command of the Supremacy’s engineering department for quite some time, doubly so now that the old Chief of Engineering was vaporized.  
  
He realized he’d been standing for a strange amount of time and quickly took his seat beside the ever insufferable Peavy. Without Escha to unknowingly entertain him, he found the meetings just as droll as Kylo did. He’d already read through the action items for today’s gathering and it was essentially the same as the last few weeks.  
  
Rebels still elusive.  
Materials still lacking.  
Petty spats between departments  
Senators being bribed for more than they were worth.  
  
He began to think he was the only one doing his damn job around here.  
  
The Alpha in him wanted to blow up another planet, a ship, _something. _It wanted to see fire and fury and destruction... It wanted to see her face again_.  
_  
  
_Stop it, that's enough._  
  
“The completion of the Supremacy to combat readiness is an estimated eight standard months, which is unacceptable.”  
  
Escha’s modulated voice cut through his thoughts like a ‘saber through a skull, and Hux knew _exactly_ where her report was going. He was well aware the force could read minds as on more than a few occasions Kylo had overheard thoughts meant for himself. He furrowed his brow and concentrated on the hooded figure as she scrolled through her datapad reading off numbers, wondering if it could possibly work both ways.  
  
**_I know your secret._****_  
_**  
Escha jumped like she’d been shocked with a bantha-prod and her datapad fell to the table with a clatter. She set her palms down on the table, doing the best she could to stifle the surge of panic that shot through her.  
  
Kylo frowned and leaned forward, “What is it?” A few officers exchanged knowing looks- they, like Hux, assumed all Force users were a little insane to some degree. Everyone had been waiting to see when she’d snap like Ren.  
  
“It, I, I’m sorry,” she mumbled something incomprehensible her vocoder couldn’t pick up, then retrieved her datapad, continuing on. “As I, sorry, as I was saying before, due to Rebel interference our thorillide output is, ah, it's down 60%. We will need to, ah, increase security at these locations so that it may be… um, evenly split… between… between the Supremacy project and… and the rebuilding of Starkiller base.” She stuttered through the remainder of her report, shaken as she tried to amend it on the fly.  
  
The General’s cheeks twitched as he did his best to stifle a grin.  
  
_She was going to try and take all of it, kriffing bitch. _He had to rub his victory in just a little bit more.  
  
“That sounds excellent, Escha Tau. I’ll ensure that Overseer Garron makes improved security measures his top priority.”  
  
Kylo was many things, many _negative_ things even, but he wasn’t stupid. His eyes moved back and forth between Escha, who wouldn’t even look at him, and Hux, who was radiating complete smug bastard energy at the end of the table.  
  
“No.”   
  
Hux’s face flipped from smirk to snarl in the fraction of a second.  
  
“_No?” _He repeated incredulously, “Then what would you have-” Kylo’s index finger twitched upwards and he fell silent.  
  
“The repair of the turbolasers and shock absorbers on the Supremacy will require much less material than your pet project, which I need to remind you doesn’t even have an approved planet chosen yet. Frankly, you are running out of time to prove that this won’t be another waste of credits.” Hux stiffened, the tips of his ears turning red from both embarrassment and anger.  
  
“No thorillide will be stored or used for any other purposes except for the restoration of our flagship. Requests for anything otherwise must be approved by me personally. Is that understood?”  
  
For once, Hux found himself speechless.  
  
Escha’s shoulders relaxed as she sighed. “That… that would easily take two months time off the estimation, Supreme Leader. Thank you sir.” And then Kylo did the strangest thing; he reached out and put one hand over hers.  
  
**_What happened?_****_  
_****_  
_****_Hux knows, he said he knows about, about my condition. He thought it at me so loud it hurt. _****_  
_****_  
_****_He doesn’t, I spoke with him last night . You’re alright. He’s trying to scare you. _****  
****  
**Kylo released her and leaned back in his chair, tapping one finger on his armrest as he regarded Hux. “In fact, General, you have a timeframe of two weeks to find a reasonable location as well as a presentation of the costs, manpower, and the modifications you’ve made to ensure it’s an _improvement_ on your previous attempt, or we will find something else for you to... focus... your thoughts on.”  
  
_Kriff. He knows._  
  
“A majority of that has already been completed, Supreme Leader, but consider it done.” There was a noticeable strain in his voice as he forced a reply through clenched teeth.  
  
For the first time during the whole meeting, Escha looked at him. It was his turn to wince, her voice stabbing into his consciousness like a nail jammed through his cerebral cortex.  
  
**_Never do that again._**_  
_  
Peavey had barely finished his last sentence to adjourn the meeting when both Kylo and Escha leapt to their feet, leaving the room in a flurry of black fabric. Hux watched the way she walked near the wall, staying as far away as possible as she walked to the door. It would appear he had a new game to play.  
  
“I told you to be careful, Escha.” Kylo mumbled as they marched down the hallway towards the lift. He disliked her at first, but she’d grown on him during her stay on the Finalizer. Being another that had suffered under Snoke’s cruel tutelage, she understood him in ways no one else could. After her initial attempt at faux Alpha-over compensation subsided, she became much more tolerable.  
  
“I have been. We were arguing and he grabbed me, he could smell that something was different. I only have to make this last a few more months, it’ll be fine.”  
  
“He’s not that much of a worry right now anyways, the Resistance is close. It finally happened again.” They made the next few steps without another word until they entered the lift. Escha pulled her hood back to look up at him in excitement.   
  
“The girl? She found you?”  
  
“They’re closer than ever, I can feel her out there, somewhere nearby. I need your help.”   
  
“Of course, anything.”  
-  
  
Hux jabbed the pause button so hard his datapad almost went flying off his desk. After their quick departure, he rushed down the hall to his office and pulled up the feed on the nearest lifts to see where his two least favorite people were storming off to. He hadn’t expected to actually _see_ her again. After finding a clear frame he magnified the mask, looking for any hints as to what lay beneath. It was a simple design that seemed to be black metal layered over another thin layer of vents with a light gasket, a grate near the hinge of her jaw likely hid a breathing apparatus underneath. Two release buttons were just barely visible above the grates. Machined in the same metal, only the finest of milling marks gave them away.  
  
_A breathing issue perhaps? An oxygen concentration device?_  
  
For a moment he thought Kylo might have lied, her mask just as pointless as the bucket he used to wear, but his discomfort on the topic was very real. He was curious as to why Kylo Ren would even care, but when he hit the resume button it showed them getting off together on one of the restricted levels. His fingers flew across the screen and brought up the cameras outside of Ren’s quarters to see them disappear inside.  
  
_You’ve got to be kriffing kidding me. _He felt a twinge of jealousy at the sight, but before he could reflect any further Mitaka stumbled into his office with his arms full of memory banks.  
  
“This is everything, sir, regarding the components of Starkiller 1.”  
  
“Including personnel?”  
  
“N-no sir, I need to make a separate trip with those.”  
  
Hux closed his eyes and sighed. Snoke was so enthused with the project that Hux never had to worry about any of this before. All he had to do was hand him a blueprint and the plans simply materialized with no further effort on his part.  
  
“Well go on then, we need to get started as soon as possible.”  
  
_Two kriffing weeks. Not if I can get to her before then. Leverage. I need leverage to get more time._   
-  
  
Escha sat cross-legged across from Kylo on the floor of his meditation room. A plush black rug separated them from the cold steel floor, and the lights were so low they could barely see each other. He took her hands and they both closed their eyes, taking deep, synchronized breaths.  
  
“When I can feel her, I'll pull from you. We’ll go together, but not through the bond. She’ll know. Look for the light.”  
  
With every inhale the world around him ebbed away till he was suspended in inky blackness. Far away in the distance, he could see the tiniest glimmer of light; like a diamond dropped onto a sea of velvet. He reached out with an invisible hand, and as he did he could feel Escha surge into him. Suddenly, instead of a distant twinkle, he was _there_.  
  
  
  
He could hear Poe Dameron’s voice, but it was over a comm- they were on the bridge of a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser with a small crowd of rebels huddled around a holo table.  
  
“Approaching Tyed Kant now, ETA 30 minutes.”  
  
“Well make sure you come out on the nose, we can’t risk them being as close as they are. At that distance-”  
  
“No!” Rey shouted, and as her head popped up out of the crowd Kylo shot back into himself. “I-I’m sorry, I thought I felt something… darkness, I… it must be because we’re so close, I’m sorry General Organa.”  
  
  
  
Both Kylo and Escha were drenched in sweat from their efforts, panting.  
  
Kylo lept up and half yanked her to her feet, “We need to go, _now._”  
  
He sent out an order demanding combat officers to meet him in the strategy room near the bridge. Kylo stopped her before they entered the room.  
  
“Your sweat. You’ll, ah, you’ll need to stand back. Just because I can scent you doesn’t mean they can, but be careful.”  
  
Hux was already waiting and tapping a finger on his datapad impatiently when the pair entered. He’d pulled up their sector as ordered, and a three-dimensional map of space floated above the large, oval projection table in the center of the room.  
  
“If we’re not close to their base, we’re at least close to where they’re hiding the fleet. The Resistance is worried.” Kylo continued on and Escha stayed a ways behind him as he addressed the gathered officers. She preferred to observe in silence over discussion anyways. Snoke appreciated this about her and often times would have her watch battles on repeat or read texts over and over to comb for anything he may have missed.  
  
Observing was what she was doing now, but it had nothing to do with the Resistance. She’d been intrigued by the General ever since his speech before the destruction of Hosnian Prime. Of course, she had always known who he was, but she’d never bothered to see the face of a man she’d likely never meet. All that fire and hate and fury bound together into one person demanded her attention and she lost count of how many times she'd replayed the holovid. The day Kylo lead her from the Command shuttle a thrill ran through her at the sight of him in the flesh.  
  
The red light of the planets above the massive projector table bathed his porcelain skin in a crimson glow. She admired the contrast between the soft curve of his jaw and the sharpness in his eyes, the way cutting words fell from deceptively plush lips. Naturally, being an alpha force user and the Supreme Leader, most attention and awe was always directed at Kylo when he was in the room. He didn’t even register to her, instead captivated by the way Hux could command the space around him.  
  
During a troop inspection the week prior she drifted along an upper walkway and watched him like some indecent voyeur. She was fascinated with him, but...  
  
He hated her.  
  
And it hurt, a little. She was doing what she had to do, though, for her own sanity. Snoke, obviously not human, was free from the conflict between the castes of biology. Despite this, he absolutely abhorred the smell of human pheromones and had the Supremacy equipped with state of the art environmental scrubbers. Originally it was hoped that these could replace the suppressants but ultimately cost over-reached convenience. It would be the one ship she might be able to live on without the mask and without the charade.  
  
_No, no the charade will stay forever. _  
  
And that was what made her resent Hux for something he wasn’t even aware of- simply existing. He was something she wanted so badly but could never have, a constant reminder that she was forever trapped living a lie. Force-sensitive Omegas were so scarce that many didn’t even think they existed, and should anyone other than Kylo know of her status it would erase everything she’d worked so hard for. Reduced down to an object to covet, something for an Alpha to pin down and fuck into oblivion.  
  
_It wasn’t kriffing fair._  
  
Distracted by her internal monologue, she hadn’t realized Hux had asked her something about a planet. He snapped his fingers and she jumped with a small gasp.  
  
“Are you even listening? Have you ever been to Pria?’  
  
She did her best not to go down that depressing trail of thought, but since their interaction the other day, she hadn’t been able to shake off the sadness from the designation nature saw fit to curse her with.  
  
“No. No, I- ” Before she could finish her sentence an explosion rocked the ship- they were under fire. Everything fell into organized chaos as officers scrambled to their stations.  
  
Kylo & Escha followed Hux to the bridge to watch the firefight from the viewport. The attack force consisted of only one Star Cruiser with a handful of x-wings flying about like angry bees.  
  
  
Hux snorted derisively at the pathetic display. “Desperate fools, they’re clearly outnumbered. Release a TIE squadron, we won’t need more than one. Focus ion torpedos on their shield generators. When the ventral cannons are hot, decimate them!”  
  
“Sir, they’re already re-engaging their hyperdrives.”  
  
_Strange. Did they not expect a Star Destroyer to be here? Was this truly happenstance?_ Kylo had commanded the ship to drop out of hyperspace in his message, and Hux found himself begrudgingly giving the force more credit than he cared to.  
  
“Tracker status?”  
  
“It’s almost complete, sir, just a few more…. It’s got a lock, sir! Lock confirmed!”  
  
“Excellent. Follow that Cruiser as soon as it leaves. They won’t escape from us this time.”  
  
Escha slowly walked past him, one hand out to the side, palm down as she approached the transparisteel viewer.  
  
“Belay that order.” Her voice was soft, the words taking a backseat to the figures running through her mind.  
  
“I beg your pardon?!”  
  
“Let them go. It might be a trap, but it’s certainly a decoy. We’re _supposed_ to follow.” She pressed her hands to the viewport and closed her eyes, letting the force flow through and out into space as she exhaled. “It’s a ghost ship. Droids. It must be droids, there’s no life aboard.”  
  
Hux frowned and looked down at the ensign behind the scanners. “Well?”  
  
“She’s... she’s correct, sir. No signs of life.” And with that the cruiser twinkled out of view while the x-wings shot off in all different directions.  
  
“It appears to be following the Commenor Run, sir, heading toward the planet Uquine.”  
  
She turned away from the stars and marched towards the doors, giving Hux a noticeably wide berth as she passed. Kylo followed behind her and the pair left without another word.  
  
_Oh bloody hell, rude cretins. __  
__  
_“Remain in position, keep the cannons hot and shields up!” Hux barked as he rushed off to follow behind, just in time to catch the hem of her robes disappearing back into the strategy room. The map was still up, and when he entered he could see her reaching out and manipulating the little planets.  
  
“I think you’re right, Kylo. We _are_ getting closer. If you review the scan logs you’ll likely see that they came out of hyperspace going the same direction they left. Look, the next planet in our route is Tyed Kant.”  
  
“Dameron said they were approaching it, said they were 30 minutes away, which is about when the attack began.”  
  
“Should we check there first?”  
  
“No, that doesn’t make sense. Tyed Kant’s not habitable by sentients without an envirosuit. It would be too expensive a place to hide.” He remembered visiting there once with his father on a little side hustle job… little jobs that grew into bigger jobs until there was finally the last one he never came back from. He twitched, physically shaking off the cold grip of old memories.  
  
“But what if the planet they’re hiding on doesn’t exist? At least, not anymore.”  
  
“The Alderaanian Graveyard?” Escha jumped at the unexpected voice just over her shoulder. Again, she made a painfully obvious attempt to put distance between herself and Hux. While explaining her theory she kept side-stepping to the left, slowly moving away as she spoke.  
  
“Yes, I, ah, well, it’s quite common in wild space for Grysks and pirates to set up crude little bases in asteroids. The fields aren’t as densely packed as they are in the core and mid-rim of the galaxy so it’s much easier. However, as small as the rebel’s forces are, it would be difficult but not impossible to have their fleet tethered and small stations built into them. I’m sure some have already tried so they may even be refurbishing old smugglers dens as a fragmented base.”  
  
Despite the seriousness of the situation, he was still playing the little game in his head. He walked over to point at two other planets floating in front of her, smirking internally as she took a step back.  
  
_So a bit of shouting is all it took? Such a fragile little Alpha, no wonder Snoke chose Ren to lead. __  
__  
_“I can appreciate your reasoning, Escha, however, there are two more planets past the Alderaanian Graveyard that we must consider- Korfo,” he stepped closer again to point at the next orb “and Tepasi.”  
  
_That damned smell… so sweet. What the hell is it??_  
  
“Korfo has remained staunchly neutral in this war, General, and while Tepasi could _almost_ be an option, with the number of pirates that call that rock a home it doesn’t make a likely candidate. Someone would have sold them out to us by now.”  
  
“She’s right, Hux. Do you think it wise to waste Scouters on such unlikely sources?”  
  
His mind raced, refusing to be outmaneuvered when bragging rights for locating the Resistance were on the table.  
  
“We have a Star Destroyer stationed on the Perlimian Trade Route in orbit of Raithal. I’ll have them come up from the other side to meet us. Even as small as the Resistance fleet is it would still be incredibly time-consuming for them to navigate outside the lanes.” He stepped closer yet again to point out the route and she’d clearly had enough, slipping around the table to stand beside Kylo.  
  
“Then do it. We’ll have our answers soon enough.” They turned to leave but Hux called out, (against his better judgment).  
  
“Wait! Escha Tau, I wanted to apologize for my display yesterday, my temper got the best of me. It won’t happen again, I… I didn’t mean to _frighten_ you," he drawled. After toeing the line all day he’d now pushed just a little bit too far, reminding her she was supposed to be an _Alpha._  
  
She spun on heel and stormed towards him. Before he could react she kicked him to the ground with a solid boot to the stomach. He grunted in surprise and went tumbling backward to sprawl out across the floor.   
  
“For your sake, General, I hope that it does not.”  
  
  
It didn't stop him from grinning as he watched them go.   
  
_We'll see. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I'm doing it right, A/B/O is still new to me! :0
> 
> In the following chapter being posted next Tuesday:  
More plot development, Kylo is xtra mean when he's angry, a little bit of accidental softness


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I lied I'm posting the update NOW! I never post early, lol! Hurray!
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!  
We get more plot development  
Her secret is (literally) right under his nose, and his body is slowly piecing together what his brain isn't.  
Kylo is not nice

Later that evening Hux had finally amassed the forty or so databanks regarding his beloved Starkiller. He could develop a program to sift through them for the more important details, but taking the time to do so was something he couldn’t afford.It was just him, a mountain of data, and an ever-dwindling amount of time to go through it all.  
  
It was absolutely overwhelming.  
  
He poured himself a generous serving of Corellian whiskey and emptied it in two gulps (before deciding on pouring another for good measure) and returned to his desk with a grumble. He absentmindedly swirled the amber liquid as he read over the same list of planets for what felt like the nine hundredth time.  
  
Hux preferred using a holoprojector when it came to dealing with the physical; scrolling text wasn’t the same as seeing it before him. The blueprints for Starkiller and the myriad of other tech he designed were created in that way, the images of each piece hovering in front of him as he drew up the specifications on a datapad. Ren had single-handedly amassed every mini projector on the ship for whatever it was he was doing, leaving Hux stuck with the two dimensional.  
  
He cursed their leader and checked the time- at 2300 the sparse staffing of the Gamma shift would have taken up their posts, leaving the strategy room’s projector near the bridge unoccupied. It was late, but with the ridiculous time constraints Kylo had yoked him with every second counted. Hux cleared his glass, slipped into his greatcoat, tucked his datapad into a pocket and wearily trudged to the lift.  
  
The entire galaxy hovered before him in a vibrant red with selected planets highlighted in a bright yellow. He wondered how Kylo Ren would feel about the gutting of Ach-to, a warm feeling coating his insides at the thought of cold durasteel and the sharp edge of technology desecrating a planet so steeped in the mysticism of the force. But no, the distance from the Core would prove to be a challenge when using it as a threat, and it would take too long for reinforcements to arrive should it fall under attack.  
  
Codia was nearer, in the Mid-rim, but it was colonized enough that eradicating their civilization would be a sizeable effort. He frowned at the thought of Hoth, remembering the way _ she _ was so negative about the selection. He hated to admit that she was right, though- while the natural cold of the original planet eased the burden on the cooling systems, the frigid weather did make construction difficult. He retrieved a chair from one of the other stations and dropped into it with a dejected sigh.

Two weeks felt impossible.  
  
Now that he was seated his eyelids felt heavy, every blink a concerted effort to open them again. He folded his arms onto the ledge of the table and lowered his head, telling himself he was resting his eyes for just a moment. Not even ten seconds passed before he drifted away.  
  
Escha couldn’t sleep either; something about their interaction with the Resistance was tugging at her. She was pacing just inside the door to her quarters, doubt whispering through her mind that she missed something. Should they have followed the cruiser, perhaps? No, the ship _was_ staffed by droids, the scans confirmed it. Dameron’s comment on time lined them up the exact distance from Tyed Kant, so that wasn’t wrong either. She replayed the scene she saw through Kylo in his meditation chamber. In slow motion she saw Rey’s head pop up from the crowd. Something _there…_ something about _her._  
  
A slight sunburn over lightly freckled cheeks, a tinge of pink to the tip of her nose...  
  
A necklace.  
  
Red and orange clay beads.  
  
It was long and rather heavy, judging from the way it hung. It didn’t match anything about her, and certainly wasn’t something one would wear around a ship on the edge of conflict. It must have been gifted to her recently, likely planetside and likely from the local people. They wouldn’t be very advanced, probably a type 3 civilization that co-opted technology more often than creating their own.  
  
Nothing that would be made on an asteroid.  
  
The datapad simply wouldn’t do, she wanted to _see_ the planets, let the force guide her. Thankfully she hadn’t yet gone through her time-consuming ritual of settling in for the evening and simply pulled her robe on and took off down the corridors.  
  
The last thing she expected to see was Hux fast asleep, lightly snoring as the galaxy spun above him. The room was dark save the red glow of the planets. She approached carefully, gently tugging the cable from his datapad to plug in her own. Sector M5 replaced the sprawling stars, the Finalizer pulsating a light blue in the center of it all. She worked quietly, hoping to finish everything before he woke.  
  
Skako? Like Tyed Kant, it wasn’t human-friendly without an envirosuit. Aldraig? More asteroid than planet, no. She widened the map to include the surrounding sectors, though each expansion tripled the planets to sift through. Ri’shant? Radioactive wasteland, too much effort and certainly too costly to try. Kailor? Unforgiving & rocky terrain made more perilous by the constant state of torrential downpour. Broest? A farming planet, known for exporting seeds from their robust flora. Something about it called out to her and she selected it, scrolling through its description in the archives.  
  
_“The Clay Cliffs of Broest are a natural wonder of the planet. Statues, drinkwear, and other trinkets crafted from the ferric-oxide rich clay are considered sacred and are gifted to esteemed diplomats or guests of honor…”__  
__  
_“That’s got to be it.”  
  
Hux shifted at her voice, and she saw that even in sleep his brow was creased in worry. She reached out gently, curious to see what it was such a man dreamed of. There was fear, pain, and sadness so potent it made her own chest ache- but it wasn’t him doling them out on his enemies; the suffering was his own. She quickly came around the table to spare him from whatever was haunting him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder; he twitched but didn’t wake.  
  
“_Hux._” He whimpered slightly at the sound of his name and the noise twisted something in her chest, likely the Omega tendencies Snoke so frequently mocked her for.  
  
“General, wake_ up.”_ She pulled harder on his shoulder and he sat bolt upright with a shuddering gasp, an expression of horror across his face. Without thinking she leant down and threw her arms around his neck to hold him tight, some base instinct inside her wanting to comfort him.  
  
He was disoriented; a twinge in his neck ached from the odd angle of rest, and the alcohol left him overly sluggish as he fought to free himself from the cobwebs of sleep. There were arms around him, soft curls against his cheek and the smell of something familiar.  
  
_Soft, warm, safe, omega._  
  
It brought to mind his mother, but unlike his dream it was when she was still happy, when he’d sit on the counter while she baked cinnamon rolls as a treat. Still unable to separate the realm of dreams from reality he closed his eyes again, nuzzling into her with a contented hum.  
  
“Are you alright?”  
  
The modulated voice shattered his groggy reverie.  
  
_Sharp, cold, war, alpha._  
  
He broke her embrace with his forearms and shoved her off him. The edge of her robe was pinned beneath a wheel of the chair as it moved and the entanglement sent her falling to the ground. He still had no idea what was going on and took the combat aggressive, lurching forward, straddling her and pinning her hands above her head.  
  
“Lights, 100%!” They both squinted at the sudden brightness. “_You! _Of course it’s kriffing you! So proud of yourself, I’m sure. Come to rub your little victory from earlier in my face?”  
  
“I came to use the projector and you were _sleeping _on it!” She looked at him with bewildered eyes, the sudden change in dynamic setting her off balance within herself.  
  
He gripped her wrists even tighter as he snarled, “I have two weeks to complete an obscene amount of work thanks to you and Ren! Of course I’m bloody exhausted!”  
  
“I didn’t know he was going to do that, now get off me!” She bucked underneath him and he tipped to the side, releasing her to catch himself. They both scrambled to their feet- he was glaring at her but the expression on her face was something he couldn’t quite place. Worry? _Pity?_  
  
“Are you alright, Hux?” He felt embarrassed, wondering if, despite the mask, she’d smelled the liquor that still lingered on his breath.  
  
_Wouldn’t Ren find that entertaining?_  
  
He muttered to himself as he snatched up his greatcoat and datapad. He went to leave but she grabbed his wrist and he froze, turning his head slowly to glower just over his shoulder.  
  
“Ilum. It’s a small planet in the outer rim, heavily mined for kyber during the empire. You should put your new Starkiller there.”  
  
“And why are you telling me this?”  
  
“You might hate me, but I don’t hate you.”  
  
“Oh, oh well isn’t that lovely,” He sneered, snatching his wrist free and leaving in a huff. Escha sighed and returned to reading more about the suspected Resistance planet. She always liked lurking about at night, the silence and quiet were familiar friends when one was accustomed to loneliness. After Snoke sent her knights away she had a small court of fellow omegas to keep her company, but just before his death he’d sent them away, too, as if he knew her time to leave was coming soon. He didn’t know his imminent death was going to be what brought it about.  
  
After an hour picking through the archives for anything that could prove the planet unfit for such an undertaking, Hux found nothing. It actually really was _perfect_. Initially, his search had ruled it out early on due to its distance from the core, but its position in the galaxy was much more unobstructed than his other options. It was also a fairly dead planet, so the clearing of sentients wouldn’t be an issue.  
  
Why, though? Why would she care?  
  
‘..._but I don’t hate you.’ __  
__  
_Is that what passed for a compliment amongst force sensitives? The clock in the corner of his datapad blinked, letting him know it was now 2am and he had to be up in three hours. He closed out the archival search system, and even though he was judging himself as he did it, pulled up a still frame he’d saved from the lift cameras earlier.  
  
She was fairly pleasing on the eyes… in her own completely horrible way, of _course…_ and only if Hux was attracted to Alphas, which he _wasn’t… _and if he didn’t hate force users with every fiber of his being, which he _did… _  
  
Her hair was down tonight and he hadn’t even really noticed at the time, his mind scrambling to pull itself together. He chastised himself for being so touch-starved just the brush of soft curls against his face reminded him of his mother, so strongly in fact that he swore he could smell the Omega. And why was she doing that anyways, what did she see? Or did she do that at all? Did he dream it?  
  
“I can’t be remembering that right, exhaustion and alcohol is all. Driving me to the brink, the pair of them. I’ll be just as mad as them in two weeks time, I swear it.” He mumbled, hunkering down beneath the covers and hoping the fast-approaching morning would bring some better luck.  
-  
  
Communication is key when running such a large military force. Phasma had gathered her top platoons into deployment ships should a ground landing or cruiser invasion team be necessary, Ren was going over his TIE-Silencer while the Elite Squadron prepared their ships to flank him, Hux verified combat readiness with the Captains, and Escha… was in his way.  
  
They were minutes from jumping out of hyperspace when he strode onto the bridge, chin held high and back straight, ready to massacre anything they could find. The alpha in him was overjoyed- though it wasn’t a physical release it would still be _so_ cathartic, borderline intoxicating in fact, to watch enemy ships fall from the sky in a flurry of laser fire. Everything was perfect, save the robed figure that stood at the head of the bridge, motionless amidst the flurry of activity like a monolith. Her presence irritated him like an itch he couldn’t scratch.  
  
Just like in her meditation with Kylo, she focused on breathing, whispering to herself with every exhale.  
_Center yourself. Center. Center.__  
__  
_She was on the precipice of what Kylo called the ‘drop’, when you slip into the force and are completely submerged in it, like the physical world is the air above and you’re not just _in_ the sea that is the force, you expand and grow until you _are_ the sea. It was one of the purest points of power, and she needed all of it for the task that lay ahead.  
  
“Not flying with Ren?” The General’s voice was like a harpoon stabbing into her consciousness and ripping it from the waters. She flipped her hood back in irritation to glare up at him and he frowned, worried that the motion was going to be followed by a force toss or something else equally horrid.  
  
_Stupid hood, stupid robe, stupid fucking masking so sick of all this garbage this fucking cage- stop, save that frustration for later. __  
__  
_“General Hux. The effects of Corrupted Battle Meditation can affect those around me. Ensure that I’m not disturbed, and don’t let any of your men near me- including _you._”  
  
_Her hair is down again. For kriffsake that’s irrelevant.__  
__  
_“Wouldn’t you be better suited doing whatever mystical nonsense that is on one of the Observation decks?”  
  
“No.” And with that she turned back to the stars and closed her eyes, trying to find the velvety embrace of the darkness once more. Hux blatantly rolled his eyes and returned down the walkway, checking on stations of his own volition, of course- not because some haughty force user wanted to meditate in his favorite spot.  
  
Just like with D’Qar, they caught the rebels mid evacuation. Hux barked orders, consoles beeped, tapping fingers sounded like the pitter-patter of rain… and it all dissolved into nothingness. The world around her was black, every lifeform its own little glowing orb in the force. She could sense the ordered, trained minds of the First Order pilots, the glowing ember that was Kylo Ren, and the rebellious, wild minds of the Resistance. _Those_ were the minds that she needed.  
  
The darkness moved out from her like the vines of a poisonous plant. Inky black tendrils crept into the hearts of the Resistance flying before her, and into them she poured every hurt and crippling doubt that ever plagued her. She recalled every verbal lashing from Snoke, how he berated her as she managed to fall just short of Kylo in every way. The absolute heartbreak of her first heat as she screamed out against being cursed as an Omega was the most potent of them all, and as she relived that anguish it became apparent to both sides that the Resistance pilots were doing _terribly. _  
  
“Hey buddy, don’t tell _me _happy beeps, okay? Something’s wrong here.” For once it was BB-8 telling Poe to be optimistic. The feisty little droid’s owner, ever ready to challenge the odds, had an uncharacteristic case of dicey nerves. He doubted every shot, the hesitations causing him to miss more targets than he hit. He went out wide after one strafing run, giving himself a moment to think instead of diving right back in.  
  
It all felt so _pointless_.  
  
_There’s so many of them, we’re all just going to die out here. If not now, eventually. Couldn’t we do more good if we just let them win? _  
  
Blue-7 was supposed to circle back with him, but the despair was too much. He hit the comms before leaving, a frantic voice pushing the other fearful fighters that much closer to the brink of panic. “I can’t do this anymore, I’m sorry, there’s no point, there’s nothing we can do, it's just the way it is, may the, may the force be with you!” he choked through tears before shooting into space and abandoning the battle.  
  
Her heart ached, tears running down to gather on the gasket of her mask before trickling down the side to disappear into the swathes of black and red fabric. She had to push _more, _had to push _deeper_, had to reach outtowards that one brilliant blue twinkle of light.  
  
Rey was on the bridge arguing with General Organa. “You need to let me take the Falcon, with the force Chewie and I can help, if I'm in the gunner position I can-”  
  
“Absolutely _not, _Rey, it’s too dangerous. We need you.”  
  
“They need my help!”  
  
The young twi’lek at shield controls was eavesdropping and silently agreed with Rey. The x-wing squadrons were being absolutely annihilated. _Maybe if we lower our shields, if we surrender, they’ll stop. We need a chance, we need to live, I don’t want to die, not like this. _She slowly moved her hand to the top of the touchpad that controlled the shields, and with a quick flick of the wrist she lowered them completely.  
  
“Sir, the Star Cruiser at forward-port side has lowered its shields!”  
  
“Concentrate all fire power there!!” He snapped his fingers at the comms officer and she quickly patched him through across all First Order wavelengths. “Far left cruiser has no shields, divert all efforts to that ship!”  
  
Kylo grinned, whipping his silencer around and flying clear across the battlefield. He wouldn’t be weak, not this time. Not after Rey left him to die, not after his mother sent a suicide runner to obliterate him. That day made everything so clear, burning away the trappings of sentiment that still held him back. He reached forward and flipped the switch to arm the Silencer’s deadly ST7 Arakyd warheads and sped towards the Star Cruiser’s bridge, following the pull of the light.  
  
“Shei’ka! What are you doing?” The twi’lek grabbed the ensign overseeing engine controls beside her and shakily held a blaster at his head, keeping anyone else from re-engaging the shields as the ship rocked with TIE fire.  
  
“This Resistance is pathetic, look at us! We’re useless! There’s nothing we can do now, the best we can do is surrender! We need to surrender and they’ll stop!!!”  
  
Rey could feel Kylo nearing, the darkness blossoming as if it were on the ship beside her. That wasn't all, though- the feeling from the cave was creeping up her legs, like sickly black vines rooting her to the spot. The aching loneliness of her solitary reflection in that obsidian mirror began to weigh on her shoulders, threatening to crush her- when suddenly it was gone.  
  
Now that her mind was clear Rey reached out, sending Shei’ka and her captive flying and sprinted to the console, leaping forward with her palm outstretched, landing perfectly on the shield-bar. Just as the Silencer’s devastating payload made contact, the gold honeycombed energy bands of the shield deflected it.  
  
He.  
Was.  
Furious.  
  
“We need to go _now!” _Rey shouted, “ They’re doing something with the force, I could feel it! It’s broken now but it could come back!” Organa agreed, sending out the command for their planned three-point retreat. The First Order's Resurgent class Star Destroyers may be able to track one cruiser with the hyperspace tracker, but only the Supremacy had the capability to track multiple ships.  
-  
  
Hux strode to the front of the bridge, ignoring Escha's warning, to watch the giant fireball that would engulf the defenseless vessel. The rabid joy in his chest withered as he approached. In his mind he knew that he should be proud, excited for the army wreaking havoc under his command, but instead he felt so very small. His marched had slowed, and the last few steps he made were soft with trepidation.  
  
_How the hell are __you__ in charge? And the General of the First Order of all things? No wonder the Resistance lives. How could anything lead by such a weak and pathetic child of a man be expected to do anything other than fail? _ _You should never have been dragged from the kitchens. _The internal dialogue chastised himself in his father’s voice, hands trembling slightly as he crossed his arms protectively over his chest.  
  
Escha was at the lowest point inside herself, truly and completely immersed in self-loathing, agony, and sadness. One small place in the back of her mind relished the suffering reflected back at her, hundreds of minds poisoned by the corruption of the darkside. One voice surged into her awareness; sharper, more agonized than the rest, like it was screaming mere inches her ear. Old wounds were torn open to reveal a black hole where flesh and bone should be, and it was startling enough to break her hold on the darkness.  
  
The General’s sudden dive into misery disappeared as quickly as it happened. Before he could question it she spun on him, grabbing the collar of his greatcoat. He recoiled at the sight of red-rimmed eyes, whether bloodshot from the strain of the force or the tears that matted hair to her face, he didn’t know.  
  
“I told you to stay away from me! I told you, I-” she turned back to the viewport, “No, no no no-” She pressed her palms to the transparisteel, trying to regain her grip, but it was too late. The minds were lost and the chaos with them. X-wing formations tightened, but the Resistance had clearly had enough as they scattered in all different directions off the hyperlane.  
  
_“Hux… What have you done!?”_  
  
“Sir, we’re reporting six TIE’s lost and fourteen damaged, approximately thirty-seven enemy ships destroyed and many more damaged. Those are _the _best stats we’ve had since the beginning of this war, sir.”  
  
He turned away from the confusing scene before him and returned to the heart of the bridge. “Excellent, Lieutenant, thank you.”  
  
“We had a lock on the foremost cruiser, shall we pursue?”  
  
“No, no Ensign we’ll let them have this little reprieve before we crush them where they’ve gone to hide.” He walked amongst the officers, checking numbers and quickly reading over preliminary reports from different departments. After completing his rounds he turned his attention back to Escha, who hadn’t moved. Her palms were still against the glass, head hanging low in defeat.  
  
“Whatever it was you were doing, Tau, it worked. Those sorts of numbers-”  
  
Her elbow buckled and she almost fell into the glass. Hux reflexively grabbed her upper arm to help steady her.  
  
“I, I need to sit down.”  
  
“We’ll go to my office.” Weariness sunk into her bones, all effort focused on simply placing one foot in front of the other. Hux had one arm around her waist, the other still holding her arm as he lead her out. The cloying scent that usually hung about her was now more akin to burnt sugar that sweetness, but he had more important things to worry about at the moment. “Excellent job everyone, stay in a holding pattern until I discuss our next moves with the Supreme leader.”  
  
Now it was his turn to ask, “Are you alright?”  
  
She didn’t have the energy to play games, feeling some relief in telling someone rather than keeping it all inside. “No. I felt all of it, Hux. Every bit of it. Soul crushing misery. I dug up every dark thing that lives inside me... sent it out. I felt you, too, it-” He cut her off, not wanting to hear what she might have overheard.  
  
“So it was you that… that feeling of, as if… so you were distracting the Resistance then, with the force??” He stuttered through a response that wouldn’t admit what he’d felt in those brief seconds of paralyzing despair.  
  
“That’s a simple way of saying it, yes, but none of it matters because she got away.”  
  
“You’re starting to sound like Ren now. She may use the force but she’s just one person, the Resistance would exist with or without her.”  
  
_Much like the First Order would be fine without either of you. __  
__  
_Thankfully, she was too tired to catch the thought. Once they reached the office he helped lower her into one of the chairs in front of his desk. Before she could relax Kylo burst through the doors, the scent of his fury setting an acrid edge to the air. She struggled to stand and turned to face him.  
  
“I tried, I’m sorry, I was distracted by-”  
  
_Kriff. Here we go. _Hux braced himself for having the rage directed onto him, but she didn’t give him away.  
  
“by the noise of it all, it was too much.”  
  
“Too much??” He stalked over to her, pushing Hux out of the way.  
  
“You had _one kriffing job _and you couldn’t even do that right! What the hell is the point of you then?” He grabbed the back of her neck, his other massive hand wrapping around the front of her mask. “Maybe you really _are_ only good for one thing.”  
  
Something about their altercation made Hux physically sick. Rather than fighting back she was frozen beneath him as he loomed over her, and Hux couldn’t tell if it was a word or a choked sob that came through the vocoder as his middle finger toyed with the edge of the release.  
  
“That’s enough, Ren.” Emotion surged, provoked by memories he’d buried beneath layers and layers of accomplishments and accolades, memories he’d scrubbed away so thoroughly that the gut reaction was triggered by an almost nameless cause.  
  
“I said that’s_ enough!_” With a shove Kylo sent her tumbling to the ground and turned at the sound of Hux unholstering his blaster. “You can be a goddamned brute on your own time, Ren, but not in my kriffing office.”  
  
He moved until the muzzle was only inches away. Sweat dried to a greasy sheen on his face, serving to make him look even more feral as he bared his teeth at the General. “And what are you going to do with that, Hux?”  
  
Hux let it linger for a moment before holstering it casually. “Apparently violence is the only way to get your attention, and it worked.” He continued speaking as he walked behind his desk, sitting down and reclining slightly as if Kylo bored him. “Now, if you’re ready to listen, the kill ratio is outstanding, only 6 fighters lost. We have a track on one of the five Star Cruisers we came upon, but it seems they scattered in all directions like the roaches that they are.”  
  
A hand appeared over the side of his desk as Escha used its edge to assist in slowly rising to her feet, the other hand brushing fallen hair back from her face. She looked awful, but rather than derision or entertainment Hux actually felt sorry for her.  
  
“I know where they’ve gone.” she whispered. “The girl wore a necklace from Broest. They’re likely going around Tyed Kant and looping back, it’s... it's off the hyper lanes.”  
  
Leather gloves creaked as Kylo clenched his fists. “And why didn’t you tell me that this morning?”  
  
“It was just a theory, but catching them mid evac from the asteroids proved me right.” A bit more fire came back into her. “And if they’re there, it would be the _second_ time I’ve been right.”  
  
“It would be a third if your meditation had worked.”  
  
“It _did_ work, I’ll be more prepared next time.”  
  
He moved as if he were going to grab her again and Hux leant forward, tensing in his chair with a low growl, surprising even himself. Kylo’s lips twitched into a knowing smile, as if he were privy to something Hux wasn’t.  
  
“Mm. How interesting. Hux, gather your captains. And _you_, you’re dismissed for the day.” He stormed from the room, likely off to go torture someone else. As soon as the doors closed Hux jumped up and helped her sit down.  
  
“I apologize for distracting you, and don't think I'm not appreciative of you keeping that from Ren. It’s cretins like him that make me hate being an alpha, not all of us are rabid troglodytes. I can appreciate how you and I, we’re both different from the rest of them.”  
  
He reached towards her face and she tensed, but he took a finger and gently tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, for once lamenting that he was wearing gloves. She let her face fall to the side, closing her eyes and nuzzling into his hand. It shouldn't have, but the motion made him want to console her, wrap his arms around her protectively and let her know she was safe. He couldn’t help but notice too, though, that it left his thumb resting perfectly over one of the release catches to her mask.  
  
And then the world spun around him as he was sent tumbling over his desk.  
  
“Different? No you’re not! Stars, you’re just like the rest of them. I don’t know _why_ I didn’t tell Ren, you’ve been nothing but _horrible_ to me since I got here! I should have listened to him, I’ve been a fool to show you any kindness!” Overhearing his thoughts about her mask gave her just enough energy to stand and rush from his office.  
  
He scrambled to his feet to call after her, “I wasn’t going to press it! Escha, Escha just listen to me, I-!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Corrupted Battle Meditation is an actual Sith power, (and one of Bastila Shan (Fallen)'s moves on Galaxy of Heroes, my fav game)
> 
> There's varying ways it's described as being orchestrated, and I went with this one. :)
> 
> Next week we'll find out what the mask does exactly, and Hux will too! SCANDALOUS
> 
> All comments and polite criticisms welcome <3 <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux's meddling sends Escha on an impromptu trip to Nar Shadda, and perfect timing brings her secret to light- but what will he do with that knowledge?
> 
> -I apologize for any grammatical mistakes, I am beta-less-

“And _that’s _why reading minds is rude!” Hux shouted just before the door sealed shut.  
  
He wasn’t _actually_ going to do it, especially after seeing Ren threaten her in that way just moments earlier. Any semblance to their Supreme Leader’s domineering behavior was something he actively avoided. He straightened his greatcoat with a huff and ran his hands over his copper locks to ensure they were still confined to their gel prison. The scent of her was heavy on the arm that supported her waist, and he quickly snapped it back down to his side.  
  
Hux felt slightly ashamed, and a little bit predatory, at how obsessed he’d become. She was right, though, as much as he hated to admit it; he’d never really offered an olive branch or made any kind of concerted effort to befriend her.  
  
_Why should I feel guilty? There’s no shame in where my priorities lie._  
  
He returned to his seat and began summoning the captains as Ren had demanded. An apology might help smooth things over, but every time he considered such a thing the idea was immediately squashed. It made no sense that he’d suddenly become so concerned with her, and he half wondered if it was some insidious force trick she was using to worm her way into his thoughts. She kept crossing his mind throughout the day, even proving to be a distraction as they discussed the upcoming fleet maneuvers.  
  
“The Interdictor, Hux, where is it?” Kylo’s voice brought him back from replaying the way loose curls framed her face, such a clash against the mask that so confounded him.  
  
“I ah, yes, sorry, it encountered some difficulties in passing the asteroid field as it spans even past the edges of the hyperlane. We will have their assistance in a planetside excursion should our scouters confirm an occupation of Broest, which might I remind you remains very loyal to the ashes of the Republic. Regardless of what we find there, if we intend to take it we _will _ encounter a considerable amount of resistance.”  
  
“Something that, might I remind _you, _Hux, will require _focus._ If you can’t pay attention to the task at hand I’ll find someone who will.”  
  
“I assure you it has my full attention, _Supreme Leader._”  
  
Kylo narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, that same strange expression from their interaction in the office earlier returning to his face. “Mm. So you say_.” _  
  
Hux looked back to his datapad, wanting to ask what exactly _that_ was supposed to mean, but didn’t want to push Ren any further. Kylo was hyper-fixated after their first significant brush with the Resistance since Crait, and the harsh scent of his aggression had everyone on edge. Hux didn’t know if it would work, but just in case she _was_ trying some sort of force shenanigans, he tried to focus on her like he’d done before.  
  
**_Get OUT of my head! Stop distracting me!_**  
  
Whether his experiment was successful or not he wasn’t sure. He kept waiting for that stabbing headache of a reply; curious as to if he was going to get one at all. Everything else went smoothly, and officers were setting off to their own individual tasks when the door opened and Escha flew in, not even stopping to acknowledge Ren. Her eyes locked onto Hux and she stormed towards him. He could smell her before she even touched him, absolutely reeking of Alpha as if she were about to go into rut.  
  
She grabbed his coat collar with both hands and kept walking forward, pushing him until his back hit the wall behind the projector table.  
  
“What did I tell you? What did I tell you about doing that?!” She pulled him off the wall for a split second just to slam him back into it. “Do that again, and I will kriffing _end you!_”  
  
Hux looked down at her with an unrepentant scowl. “Lurking where you don’t belong, I see! One ought to consider it your own fault.”  
  
“That’s not how it works, you idiot!”  
  
“Oh well I _do_ beg your pardon for not being privy to the inner workings of your telepathic meddling.”  
  
“You have so many words to be an absolute bastard yet so few to ask basic questions!”  
  
Hux growled, “Ask _you_ a question? What, so I can get thrown across a room? And you have the nerve to call _me _the idiot.”  
  
She pushed him even harder against the wall, “What I have the _nerve_ to do is-”  
  
“Escha. Tau.”  
  
She released Hux and turned to face Kylo, who was no longer amused by her bullying of the General. Kylo looked over to the group of officers, all stopped to watch the display. “You have your tasks, don’t you? _Go.” _They needed no further inspiration and rushed from the escalating hostilities.  
  
**_He did that… that thing again. It startled me. I broke my last bottle, I need to go to Nar Shadda. _****_  
_** **_  
_** **_I can smell that… and so can everyone else. Go. Now. Three days till Broest, I need you with me._****  
** **  
** Unaware of their force communication, to Hux it looked like strange posturing before she fled from the room in a flurry of robes. Unfortunately, that meant he was left alone with Kylo Ren.  
  
“_Telepathic meddling,_ Hux? Even someone like you, with virtually no presence in the force… the equivalent of a leaf on the wind... can affect us. You’ve found a way to direct your thoughts, which would almost be impressive... but you’re clumsy, like a bantha calf learning to walk.” Kylo approached slowly as he spoke and raised his hand, clawing it beside the General’s head.  
  
**_It’s loud, unsettling, and we feel what you’re feeling now when you do it. _****_  
_** **_  
_** Hux was gritting his teeth, eyes squeezed shut; it felt like his whole body was vibrating and nails had been shoved into the side of his face.  
  
**_If I hear of you doing this to her again, Hux, I may see fit to make you feel this way permanently._**  
  
He gasped when Kylo released him, but Hux wasn’t going to let it go without a fight. “She’s been trying to alter my mind, Ren, I can feel it!”  
  
Again, there was that strange expression that Hux wanted to physically grab and tear off his face. “No, she hasn’t, General. I’m afraid the blame for everything going on inside your head falls squarely on _you.”_  
-  
  
Every evening was the same tedious ritual for Escha Tau… Master of the Missing Knights, the Mistaken Omega, the Back-up Apprentice, the Plan B. (Or so she called herself in the lower moments of self-pity)  
  
The first thing she did was strip down to her undergarments, carefully folding each piece of her attire into the laundry bin for the service droids. Next, she went to the refresher. Rather than water (a luxury afforded to her station), she hit the button for the sonic shower; twice on the days Hux invaded her personal space. Only then could the mask could _finally_ come off. After a proper shower, she usually prepared a small meal and retreated to her bedroom; safe and free from everything Alpha.  
  
Suppressants numbed a force-sensitive to their abilities, something about altering biology corrupted their grip on the mystical power. The heat cycle in a force-sensitive Omega was doubly potent, not only because of her unsuppressed status but because it also intensified her presence in the force. Unfortunately, research on the phenomenon was virtually non-existent as literally 99.999% of known force wielders were Alphas or Betas.  
  
As long as her olfactory receptors didn’t register an Alpha’s pheromones, though, she could control the heat cycling with meditation. The mask had a six filter system in place to remove scents of any kind, keeping her safe from the triggers drifting through the air. It allowed her to exist in a kind of stasis; as far as her biology was concerned she was the only human in the entire galaxy.  
  
Every morning she considered going without the imprisonment of her layers of robes and caging her face in that mask, and every morning she remembered how horrible that first heat was; how she’d never subject herself to something like that again. There was the literal heat, like her body was on fire, the burning in her blood crying out for an alpha to knot her, to satiate raging hormones through being bred. Just as bad was the force taunting her, bleeding out and pulling her in the direction of the nearest Alpha, and in turn attracting them to her as well.  
  
Snoke thought it was _funny._  
  
She wept at the foot of his throne, begging for something, _anything_, he could do to fix it, to cure her curse. It had to be wrong, she _couldn’t_ be an Omega. Something must have gone awry, something medicine or the force could fix. Back then she wasn’t the master of the knights he’d hidden in the Unknown Regions, but a faceless mask in their midst. The Alphas amongst the knights paced at the scent of her, a rabid mass churning in the dark corners of Snoke’s throne room as she pleaded with him.  
  
Every single morning she’d look at her reflection in the black sheen of that mask she loathed so much and remember his words, _“I have no interest in whatever this is,” _as he waved his hand dismissively, _“Whoever can take her and end this sniveling can have her.”_  
  
She left that room still aching, but now bleeding, burned and bruised- and the Master of the Knights of Tau. The first step in denying the chains biology set to bind her with was beating every Alpha in that room to near death. Ironically, it was the surge in the force that the heat had given her that made it possible. As far as she was concerned she’d laid claim to herself, and the mask that _she_ designed kept it that way.  
  
_I will have the Supremacy. I will be free of this mask, and even if I can’t be free from this charade of Alpha at least I can show my own kriffing face._  
  
A small glass bottle sat on a side table by the door of her quarters, and once her mask was firmly in place she’d mist herself down with synthetic pheromones. Such a thing was highly illegal, and it took her some time to hunt down a steady supplier. One could buy anything on Nar Shadda, nicknamed the “Smugglers’ Moon”, due largely in part to the large Hutt presence there. If money could be made, the giant slug creatures had their grubby little hands in it. 

  
After Hux’s intrusive thoughts in his office disappointed her, she went to her favorite observation deck to watch the asteroids meandering out in the distance. She shouldn’t feel upset with Hux- hell, she shouldn’t feel anything for him at all, really.  
  
“And what would you do if he _did_ befriend you? Where would it go? How has your helping him served any purpose at all? Stop fooling yourself… you know that’s something you can never have. You know what it would cost you.”  
  
A sadness came over her at hearing the words spoken aloud. She then felt every bit of weariness from the over-exertion on the bridge, legs like lead as she walked the corridors to her quarters. Just as the doors closed behind her, his voice shouted across her consciousness like a thunderclap.  
  
**_Get OUT of my head! Stop distracting me!_****_  
_** **_  
_** In her taxed state she stumbled at the intrusion; her hand reflexively grabbed at the table to steady herself. The motion shook it enough to tip her last bottle of pheromones over, rolling just over the edge to shatter on the ground at her feet. It appeared there would be no respite from the day, at least not yet.  
-  
  
After yelling at Hux she went directly to the hangar, ready to get this out of the way. Luckily most of her journey could be made on autopilot, and she slept curled up in the cockpit of the heavily disguised light freighter. After an almost 10 hour flight, the beep of the nav computer woke her. She landed on one of the seedier docks and pulled out a heavy dark brown robe to put over her usual attire. Thankfully the pheromones splashed at her feet when the bottle broke, so she still reeked to high heavens of Alpha. The Smuggler’s Moon was no safe place for Omegas, who were frequently kidnapped and trafficked for nefarious purposes- from illegal brothels to chemists that farmed them for pheromones to use in potent drugs.  
  
As far as she was concerned the galaxy was a horrible place full of horrible people, and if the First Order could live up to its dreams she would relish the destruction of those who harmed her kind. Amidst the bustle of the busy marketplace, lined with vendor stalls and food carts, she paused to look up at the night sky, imagining the Supremacy looming above. Was it hypocritical to imagine destroying those she was using right now? Perhaps, but she’d leave guilt to the Jedi.  
  
After the deal was done she rushed back to the ship, a crate with a year’s supply of bottles followed on a hovercart behind her. She reached out with the force, making herself as uninteresting and nondescript as possible. Once the crate was secured in the small cargo bay and the ramp closed behind her only _then_ did she relax. During the return trip to the Finalizer her mind kept drifting to the person that was responsible for this inconvenience in the first place.  
  
_General kriffing Hux. _  
  
Fine. If he wanted to be enemies, she’d _give_ him an enemy.  
-  
  
Despite their altercation, Hux was still mulling on whether or not he should apologize to her. It could be useful to try and start their relationship over. Not because he cared how she felt, he told himself, but because it could benefit his rebuilding of Starkiller. Using that approach, an apology would be the _logical_ thing to do, so he pulled up the tracker to seek her out. According to his datapad it was out of range, meaning she was off ship.  
  
_Good, and don’t come back. _

  
  
He hated that he didn’t really mean it.

  
  
The next day Hux kept randomly checking the tracker status, curiosity growing when he saw that she hadn’t returned. He checked the flight logs to see where she went but it registered as ‘incomplete data’. Incompletes didn’t _happen _on his ship; such a thing was completely unacceptable. As soon as he was done with his work for the day he went directly to the hangar to address the issue with the overseer in charge. While in the lifts his holopad beeped with a notification that she’d returned… followed immediately after with a message informing him that in addition to receiving all incoming thorillide output, she had also raided the stores of the metal painstakingly salvaged from the wreckage of the first Starkiller. A _third_ chime informed him that she ordered the repulsor coils that survived the blast to be scrapped for their doonium cores.  
  
It was the last straw.  
  
He stormed towards the small freighter. Apologies be damned, this was going to _stop_.  
  
Hux reached the edge of the ramp just as it finished lowering. Before he marched up to yell at her, a seal on the one lone crate caught his eye. It’d mostly been buffed away, but it was the unmistakable half-dome stamp of the Crimson Dawn cartel. He crept up to the cockpit, carefully now, to see what he might find.  
  
Escha had pulled up the navigational computer’s tracking on the large screen in front of her and was so involved in the task that she hadn’t heard him. He softly stepped closer and craned his neck- she was editing travel logs. They recorded the ship’s location every few minutes and she had to manually change every single one.  
  
_So there’s something else going on. _Not only was she crippling the Starkiller project, but she was lying about where she’d been. The thought of the First Order being sabotaged from the inside made him absolutely furious.  
  
In his anger Hux moved without thinking, rushing up behind her and punching the release buttons on each side of her mask. She tried to grab his arms, but he took her completely by surprise and the struggle was brief. She yelped and fell from the chair as he wrestled it from her face, and curled up into a ball on the floor. His ragged breaths were the only sound in the cockpit, any breathing from her was muffled into silence.  
  
“You should have worked _with_ me, not against me, traitorous bitch. I’ll find out where you’ve been and we’ll see how Ren feels about your dealings with criminal scum.”  
  
“_Give it back. Now.” _The voice was small, barely a whisper.  
  
“Oh _dear.._. No, no I think I’ll hold onto this.” He held the crescent-shaped mask in front of him, furrowing his brow at the simplicity. It looked to only hold a vocoder and some sort of filter; the breathing aid he’d expected to find wasn’t there. As he brought it closer to his face for inspection in the dark cockpit everything suddenly made sense.  
  
That strange slightly-off scent about her, the way she would snap into provocation as if she forgot she was _pretending, _for she was clearly no Alpha_. _The sweet scent drifting off the mask, like slightly burned spices and warm vanilla, was very very clearly _Omega_.  
  
The force required focus to use, and in her horrified state she couldn’t summon it; just out of reach, the panic interrupted any attempts she made to harness it. A hand wrapped around her upper arm and yanked her to her feet. She brought her forearm to her face, an exercise in futility as she attempted to block herself from breathing any scents. Her robes still stank of Nar Shadda and every creature she’d passed.  
  
Hux took a step closer, pinning her against the control panel, and tutted. “Tsk-tsk-tsk, an Omega faking her designation... Come now, little liar, let's have a look at you.” She was frozen, the moment so surreal that she almost didn’t believe it was happening. He shifted his grip to her wrist, gently pulling it from her face.  
  
A round jaw and soft pink lips matched the rest of the features that weren’t hidden by the mask. There was a skip to the beat of his heart, something he hadn’t felt since he was a young boy at the academy. She wasn’t maimed or malformed, she was actually, well, _pretty. _He leant down slowly, holding her gaze until he couldn’t anymore, and breathed in.  
  
He’d never smelled an unsuppressed Omega before and his body moved on its own accord. He released her wrist, both hands going to her waist to pull her closer, his face mere inches from that tender spot just behind the hinge of her jaw as he curled in on her. His mother told him stories of soulmates, people you knew just from the scent of them that they were meant for you. When he was a little child he was so excited to find such a person, but as he got older and colder he dismissed it as nonsense. If such a thing _did_ exist, (part of him was now terrified that it did), he would have sworn she was it.  
  
Escha was doing her best to breathe as little as possible, hoping that she might avoid a reaction, but when he pulled her tight she _had to_ breathe… and stars, he smelled better than she’d ever imagined. His scent, though minimized by suppressants, was reminiscent of the air after a lightning strike, muted notes of sandalwood and musk softening its edge. He smelled like… _want. _She gingerly slipped her hands beneath his greatcoat, placing them just under his shoulder blades. She pulled him closer and tilted her head to the side, exposing more of her neck and resting her forehead against his chest. Hux flared his nostrils as he breathed her in, moving till his lips just touched her skin, a slight growl slipping out at the motion.  
  
“Hux… you don’t know what you’ve done...” it was the first time he’d heard her voice, her _actual, _voice, and it was soft and breathy and stars did he want to feel those lips on his own and, and-  
  
He stopped, closed his eyes, and tried to center himself, thoughts barely audible in his mind over the heartbeat pounding in his ears.   
  
_Not like this, get it together, control yourself._

His breath was hot on her ear as he forced his mouth to speak instead of wander, “You’re lucky… that I’m not... like... other Alphas.”  
  
Hux released her abruptly and practically ran from the shuttle, hands in the pockets of his greatcoat helped hold it shut to hide his glaringly obvious reaction to the scent of her. The lift couldn’t move fast enough, and when he burst into the safety of his quarters he went directly for the whiskey, downing a few firey gulps straight from the bottle as he tried to wrap his mind around what he’d just discovered.  
  
“There. There’s you’re leverage, she’ll _have _to give you what you want now. Obviously Ren knows and doesn’t want the secret getting out so that’s, that’s both of them taken care of… this is fine, everything is fine. Oh for _fucks _sake.” He was pacing, and as he went to run a hand down the side of his face the scent of her hit him again. He pulled off his greatcoat and threw it at the couch as if that would actually help his situation.  
  
_Fuck_ he wanted her so badly. Even when the suppressed Omegas had their mild heats he’d been able to control himself, but right now he was so hard that it _hurt. _Refusing to acknowledge what he was about to do, he grabbed his greatcoat and went to his bedroom, quickly slipping out of his uniform till he was just in his boxers and undershirt.  
  
_No, you’re above all this, get it together._  
  
One final plea against nature as his body vehemently disagreed. He held the collar of his greatcoat, where the scent was the strongest, to his face, rolling on his bed like a contented cat.  
  
_So perfect, so good. Mine. Mine mine mine. _  
  
He was already leaking when he pulled himself free, laid out on his back with the coat still held to his nose as he stroked himself. Sure, he engaged in the occasional act to help himself sleep or relieve stress, but with just the light scent of her he could already feel the knot forming at his base, something that only happened when he tried to satiate one of his ruts.  
  
A few more thrusts into his palm and he came so hard he saw stars, drifting his fingers down to squeeze the knot as if she were around him. He arched his back at the sensation, gritting his teeth, stifled cries coming out as grunt with every exhale. It took almost five whole minutes to be sure he was done. Generally, it was only being in rut that sent him over the brink like that, something he only had to deal with about every four months. He looked down at the sticky mess and sighed, tossing his (now sullied) greatcoat and undergarments into the laundry bin.  
  
He had to admit, though, that night was some of the best sleep he’d had in ages.  
_-_  
  
  
After he left Escha snatched the mask up and returned it to her face, praying to every star that ever burned that she wasn’t exposed long enough for her body to react. She continued editing the flight logs, desperate to be distracted from the very dangerous position she was now in. It took about an hour to complete her task before she collected her crate and trudged to her quarters. It should have been the fear of heat that was the greatest thing on her mind, but as she meditated her mind kept drifting back to his reaction, hating how in that moment she had so desperately wished that Hux _was _like other Alphas.  
\--

\--

\--

“You are _mine, _and everyone is going to _see _that you’re mine.”  
  
The cold durasteel walkway of the bridge felt lovely on the heat of her skin, her face pressed to its polished surface, held down by the General’s gloved fingers intertwined in her hair. She could just make out his reflection in one of the massive transparisteel panels, his coat moving with every thrust as he covered her body with his own.  
  
_“My Omega.” _  
  
She sat bolt upright in bed, the damp sweat of her skin welcoming the cool air.  
  
_“_Oh no..._. no no no no no!”_  
  
She had hoped that the smell of him wasn’t enough, that perhaps it’d been so long that her body had forgotten how to even go into heat.  
  
The want curling in her belly and the slick dampening her thighs told her she was wrong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Things are starting to get stressful for everyone, lol. 
> 
> Will post the next update October 7th- lets just say that a lot more tags will be added, and this fic is gonna earn that E rating ;) lol!
> 
> Comments and kind criticisms welcome! If I get any Star Wars or A/B/O lore wrong please let me know :)  
mtfbwy


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even in space, mother nature gets her way :)
> 
> Sorry for any spelling errors or grammatical weirdness, I don't have a beta and have been dying to get caught up on this story, so I like pounded this all out over the past few days (no pun intended lol)

Hux could predict his ruts like clockwork… and he absolutely despised them.  
  
Even with the suppressants, without a proper Omega to take his knot he’d stay stuck in that state for two, sometimes three days. Toys helped, but they made him feel like an animal, disgusted by his own biology as he fruitlessly thrust away into silicone. Even more irritating were the Omegas that appeared at his door, vying to move up and belong to the General of the First Order. Sometimes it was difficult, his body reacting to the scent of them, but with self-control of durasteel he always turned them away.  
  
In the early hours of the morning, it appeared that the pheromones of an unsuppressed Omega were having some lingering effects. After another session of ‘relief’ in the shower, he swore the sweet notes of her still hung in his nose, haunting him. He looked forward to having an early bridge shift, his sanity depending on the distraction.  
  
As Hux made his way through the corridors, though, his uniform suddenly felt too heavy, too hot. He found himself pacing once he got to his destination, and walked to the forefront to look out at the stars in an attempt to center himself.  
  
_ You’re acting like a madman. _ _  
_ _  
_ He stared at his reflection and realized there was a glimmer of sweat beading on his forehead.  
  
_ No. _ _  
_ _  
_ He straightened his posture only to be taunted by a drop of perspiration trickling down the back of his neck. With a pointed frown he turned away, eyes searching the ground as his mind raced.  
  
_ No, damnit. Not now! You’ve got at least another month. It’s just stress, that’s all. Stress. _  
  
Desperate to deny what was happening, he was more hands-on than usual; delving into tasks he would generally delegate to others. To make matters even worse his datapad chimed a happy little ding to remind him that he was due for the larger meeting of the week later in his shift. A little flicker of fear shot through him. 

He didn’t know if he could face her after last night. Hux kept trying to work up the bravado to hold his knowledge over her head and request, no, _demand_ an equal share in resources, if not _all_ of them. Whether it was the beginning of a rut or embarrassment at his… actions… to the scent of her in the privacy of his quarters, he wasn’t sure… but he was nervous to see her again. _  
_-  
  
“Just this meeting, that’s all. Just sit down and don’t move, they probably can’t even smell you over all this.”  
  
Escha spoke aloud to herself as if hearing the words would make them true. She covered herself in pheromones, layering a black robe over her outfit and coating _that_ in a mist of Alpha as well. Tight-fitting under-armor pants made her outfit bulkier than usual, but she was hoping they’d be enough to hide the slick that would give her designation away. Her traitorous body seemed euphoric that after thinking it was alone for years an alpha had finally appeared.  
  
The filtration of the mask just made the core of her even needier, now pining for its alpha. Every scentless inhale made her that much more desperate, the pressure inside dangerously close to overwhelming the fear at her secret being revealed. She could feel faces turn to look at her as they passed by. She moved more quickly through the corridors, hoping it was just her imagination. The extra precautions made her a little late, and she only made it three steps into the room, eyes focused on the floor, before Kylo jumped from his seat.  
  
“Out. _Now.” _She looked up to see everyone was staring at her wide-eyed, except Hux; who was clutching his datapad and scrolling frantically. Kylo almost tackled her as he dragged her from the room.  
  
“Are you out of your kriffing mind coming in there like that?”  
  
“I didn’t think they could smell me, I-I tried to cover it.”  
  
“You reek of Alpha _and_ Omega, my god you smell like… you smell _horrible_. I’m escorting you back to make sure no one interferes, and you _stay _ in your quarters until it’s over.” Once they were on the lift he pressed himself to the wall opposite, refusing to look at her.  
  
“Kylo… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean for this to happen.” He kept clenching and unclenching his fists, mouth moving as if he were going to speak but didn’t have the words.  
  
“It’s not just your scent, I can feel you pulling me in the force...you’re like a black hole.”  
  
“I’m not trying to, it’s not intentional!”  
  
“I know it’s not. It’s as much me pulling towards you as you pulling to me. I thought you said you could control this?”  
  
“It was Hux, I… we…” He narrowed his eyes and turned just slightly to glare over his shoulder. “We got into an argument, I think that’s what did it.”  
  
“An... _argument_… did _this._” Kylo was seething. Of all the times for Hux to muck something up this was the worst possible timing.  
  
When they reached her quarters he stepped forward, looming over her. His pupils were blown, eyes black as pitch as he looked down at her. Snoke had cruelly conditioned him to have an aversion to the scent of an Omega, and it was a strange thing to smell her- his body both wanting and recoiling at the same time. Just like with the light and dark, it seemed he was always caught in a constant tug of war. He swallowed, reminding himself of who he was as a tinge of fear crept into her face when he moved even closer.  
  
“I’ll see to it this level is cleared… I’ll mark it as a chemical hazard. In the meantime, you stay here and Do. Not. Leave.” She nodded and he chewed the inside of his cheek, mulling the situation over. “I believe I can fix this.”  
-  
  
The meeting room was silent for a few minutes, everyone shifting awkwardly and waiting for Hux to start in on his usual acerbic commentary. Lieutenant Marlon, a fairly young alpha, was the first to speak up.  
  
“Not to be impolite, but… that _was_ the smell of an Omega in heat, was it not?”  
  
“Her designation in the medical record filings is Alpha. To lie about that should technically result in expulsion from the Order at the very least.” Mitaka added. “That, and compounded with obviously using artificial and therefore illegally acquired pheromones, well, those are _grievous_ offenses.”  
  
They all turned their attention to Hux, who had remained uncharacteristically silent on the whole thing, eyes riveted to his datapad as if he were trying burn through it with the force. Just the slight waft of her scent was like a boot to the gut, a worse hit than anything he’d experienced from his father or at the hands of Snoke. It burned inside him, and he half expected to see his veins alight with the red of Starkiller’s beam.  
  
“General?”  
  
He exhaled sharply, unaware he’d been holding his breath, and released the deathgrip on his data pad.  
  
“I, ah, ahem,” he cleared his throat at the sound of his voice, tight with frustration. ”Well, yes, if indeed that is the case, a proper punishment must be administered. However, I believe that is a matter the Supreme Leader will handle.”  
  
Peavey’s face twisted into a perverse grin. “Oh yes, I’m sure he’s _handling_ that matter right now.” The crude comment got a few snickers from the officers and a pointed glare from Hux.  
  
“We might have to deal with the inconveniences of our biology but that doesn’t mean we’re slaves to it,” Hux snapped, “I’d like to think our Supreme Leader has more control than _that.”__  
__  
_“Control?!” Peavey snorted, “Oh come off it, Hux, we’ve all seen how he wails on control panels whenever the mood strikes him. Right now he’s probably wailing on-”  
  
The doors opened and a very flustered looking Ren stormed into the room, taking his place at the head of the table with a graceless thunk. He rubbed his chin absentmindedly as he stared off. Fury poured off him in waves. The blood drained from the General’s face when he realized it wasn’t the heat that had gotten to him- Kylo was so enraged that he literally didn’t know what to do.  
  
“This meeting... will be pushed to tomorrow morning. Everyone out. Now. General Hux, you stay.” As soon as the door shut behind the last officer Kylo surged up from his seat, lifting and throwing Hux back to pin him against the wall. It felt like he was stuck in a garbage compactor, the force pushing against every inch of him as it held him there with a pressure so great he could barely breathe. Kylo ignited his saber and pointed it at him, moving till the tip was so close he could feel the heat, tiny wisps of erratic plasma prickling his cheek.  
  
“_What. Did you. Do!?_”  
  
Hux struggled for enough air to speak. “I didn’t know! It was an accident, I swear it!” Kylo’s eyes searched his face, and in sensing truth behind his words released him, slowly holstering his saber as Hux recovered.  
  
“Explain.”  
  
The words rushed out, “I went down to the hangar to discuss the shipment of goods she diverted and saw the contraband shipping crate, from a criminal cartel. When I went into the cockpit she was erasing her travel logs. I thought she was sabotaging us. It was a moment of impulse, that’s all, I wasn’t, I didn’t,_ I didn’t know_!”  
  
“We have a mission in two days where we will likely capture the Jedi girl. I _need_ her for that. This cannot be moved. You will go to her and you will remedy this situation that _you_ have caused.”  
  
The General’s eyes went wide. It was well known that knotting during a heat ended it much sooner, but surely he wasn’t suggesting…  
  
“I’m not _suggesting_ anything, Hux, I am _ordering _ you.”  
  
Hux could feel himself flush crimson and sputtered to respond to the unorthodox request. “S-supreme leader, I, sir, are you sure that, ah...”  
  
“Would you have me send another Alpha instead?”  
  
“_No._” He snapped, a little too quickly, and Hux now realized that odd expression he’d seen on Ren’s face over the past couple of days was a knowing one, a _smug_ one.  
  
“So I expected. Go on then. Fix this mess you’ve made.” As Hux went to leave Kylo froze him with the force, walking up to his back to growl in his ear, “But don’t you dare claim her. She isn’t _for_ you.”  
_  
  
  
Hux moved like an automaton towards the lifts, his ears ringing and his mind unable to string together a coherent line of thought. He kept expecting to wake up from a fever dream, perhaps fueled by going into rut in his sleep. Some feral part of him in the back of his mind was writhing, snarling in excitement at the prospects that lay ahead. He punched in the level for her quarters, having to override an environmental lock with his code.  
_  
__A sealed off floor at least ensures no witnesses. To see what, that you’re human, too?_  
  
The small voice of reason in his head that was screaming _No! You’re above this! Stop! _ was shrinking with every step. When he came around a corner he nearly tripped over the crumpled form of an alpha outside her door. Possessiveness flared in his chest, and he was glad to see that the other had been rejected. Hux nudged his body over with the toe of his boot to see young Lieutenant Marlon’s unblinking eyes staring back. Not wasting time with the call button, he typed in his override code and entered her quarters, hoping to at least make his case before getting thrown at a wall.  
  
The quarters were silent, and he locked the doors behind him.  
  
A deep breath to steel his nerves drew the scent of her into his chest. He could feel the warmth of it spreading out into his extremities, pulling him in the direction of the bedroom.  
  
_Omega.__  
__  
_The room was surprisingly spartan, no decor or anything in sight. It was still staged as if it were vacant, in fact. A plain couch in the center of the room faced to the right, her bedroom to the back left, and a small office/kitchenette combo to the right. He slipped out of his great coat and gently folded it over the back of the couch. His hand lingered on the buckle of his belt, unsure of how to actually go about all this.  
  
“Escha Tau, I-”  
  
  
He turned to the direction of her bedroom, words caught in his throat at the sight of her. She was hovering in the doorway, arms wrapped around herself tightly. Golden hair tumbled down, a bright contrast to the black knee-length robe tied at the waist. For all the power held, she looked impossibly _delicate_, so small now that she stood barefoot.  
  
She approached slowly, each step a conscious effort to hold back the urge to run to him as her body whispered to her, _alpha alpha alpha yessss alpha._  
  
“The, ahem, the mission to capture the Jedi is in two days. The issue of your heat cycle must be remedied.”  
  
He turned away from her, removing his belt and uniform top and laying them on top of his coat. When he looked back up she was just two feet away, and it took every ounce of energy to hold himself back, the Alpha clawing away at his self-control.  
  
Despite the suppressants, she could smell the musk of a budding rut hot on his skin. Her eyes traced the fine lines of his surprisingly slight but well-muscled form, lingering on the dog tags that sparkled against the black of his undershirt. She closed her eyes, summoning every ounce of effort that she could to make the words, which were barely a whisper.  
  
“Hux… you have the _nerve to-_”  
  
“Escha I’m trying to _fix_ this.”  
  
She glared at him, feeling hurt and foolish for wanting to believe it was something more. _So this is for the mission??_ “I’m not a piece of kriffing machinery to 'fix', Hux, get out!”  
  
She spun and stormed to the bedroom, the motion sparking some primitive desire within him to run and chase his prey. Hux stalked after her, and she was almost to the bedroom door before he grabbed her by the arm. She tried to pull away but he tightened his grip and moved till she was pinned against the back wall.  
  
“I told you to _leave_, I… Hux…” her voice trailed off and she stopped fighting him. She wanted to growl and shove him away, but with every inhale her anger with him dissipated, giving way to the yearning that had so long lurked just beneath the surface.  
  
He could feel his heartbeat pounding against his ribcage, the combination of his early rut and her heat like amphetamines in his system. He traced his thumb gently over the curve of her lower lip before cupping her jaw, tilting her head to the side so he could nuzzle into the scent of her neck. Nature was taking over as he slowly dragged his tongue across that delicate spot to taste the salty sweet of her skin.  
  
“Hux….” An involuntary moan escaped her, nails digging into the durasteel.

  
She didn’t push him away, didn’t throw him across the room with the force, or snap his neck like she did the other alpha. Through the haze, a realization dawned on him.  
  
_ Perhaps she does want this... want _ _ me _ _ . _  
  
Hux released her arm, his much taller body mass keeping her pinned against the wall, and slipped his hand to her lower back, pulling her to him with low growl. She could feel his arousal pressing into her belly through the thick regulation fabric, and it was enough to send a shudder through her, body threatening to clench and come around nothing just from the impression of him. His voice was husky and low, the sharpness of his accent dulled to round out the consonants as he spoke.  
  
“Look me in the eyes, tell me to leave, and I’ll go.”  
  
There was a quickness to the short, hot breaths on her neck, and a slight tremble in the gloved hand holding tight before releasing her jaw. He was doing everything in his power not to throw her on the ground and take her on the spot. Hux moved away slowly, the blue of his eyes now only a thin ring of crystalline blue around blown pupils, face just inches from hers.  
  
“Say it, and I’ll go. _ ” _ _  
_ _  
_ “Hux, I, I want…” Her voice drifted off and she closed her eyes, knowing she _ couldn’t _ say those words because she didn’t mean them at _ all _ . His free hand drifted down over her body, stopping at the knotted belt of her robe to gently tug it free. She did nothing to stop him, and when the belt fell to the floor the satin moved enough to reveal she was wearing nothing underneath it.  
  
He bit the tip of a finger and removed the glove with his teeth, dropping it and slipping his bare hand beneath the folds of the robe. The softness of her skin pebbled into gooseflesh beneath his touch, and she whimpered at the sensation.  
  
_ You’re not like other Alphas, you’re, kriff, you’re not like other Alphas… _   
  
  
He wasn’t so sure he believed that anymore. There was an edge of desperation to his voice now, unsure if he could hold himself back any longer.  
  
  
“Look at me. _ Look. At. Me. _ You want me to _ what?” _ She pulled her palms from the wall, placing them gently on his chest as she opened her eyes to stare up at him.  
_  
_ “I… want... _ you.” _ It took a split-second to register, and when it did he crushed her to him, their lips crashing together in a kiss that was all tongue and teeth and hunger. Pants, boots, all of that would take too long, and moving like a man possessed he rushed to free himself. They tried to make it to the bed, but the pair stumbled, awkwardly collapsing to the ground. Escha let herself fall, pulling him down on top of her. The robe fell open to reveal porcelain skin he’d explore later; right now his voice was thick, words almost incoherent.  
  
“ _ Now, I need you now.” _ _  
_  
“Please, Hux, I-, ah!” Already positioned between her legs, he crawled atop her, no pretense or warning before shoving himself into the slick heat that beckoned. The sudden fullness was as much pain as it was pleasure, and she moaned as his hips set a ruthless pace of fucking into her. It could have been seconds or minutes till she came around him, crying out his name so loudly that anyone lurking in the hallway would hear.  
  
_ “Stars, you’re so good, fuck you’re perfect, oh, ohhh, oh fuck Hux!” _  
  
It was only a few more frantic thrusts till he was almost too engorged inside her to move, his knot swelling. He could feel her flutter around him as she came again, legs wrapped around his back to hold him in as tightly as she could. He wanted to claim her, take her for his own, but Ren’s warning echoed through his mind. He focused on the stinging pain in his shoulder blades where her nails dug into his back, crying out as another orgasm wracked her body.  
  
“ _ Escha, I-” _ _  
_  
Finally his own release took him, knot holding him in place as he spilled into her. He collapsed, face buried in golden curls to keep from marking her, a keening sound escaping with every exhale as he came. They lay together, his body covering hers as they both caught their breath. It was all a whirlwind that happened so fast that it left them both speechless, panting on the cold durasteel floor.  
  
When he was able, he pulled himself from her gently, illicting a whimper from beneath him.  
  
_ What does one even say in a moment like this? _ _  
_ _  
_ “Are you alright?” he whispered, pushing himself up. He was pleased to see her smiling up at him, gently reaching to pull his face down and press her lips to his cheek.  
  
“Stay with me.”  
  
  
  
He helped her to her feet, and couldn’t help but blush at the fact she left the robe shed on the floor. Completely naked, she took his hand and lead him to bed. He’d seen Ren shirtless more times than he cared to remember, and it saddened him to see she was almost as marred as him. The urge to protect her overwhelmed him, something he hadn’t felt in so long he’d almost forgotten the sensation entirely.  
  
Inside her room was so different from the common area- she had shelves strewn with lightsaber parts and various artifacts he couldn’t even begin to recognize. Her bed was piled with considerably more blankets than regulation in a haphazard attempt at nesting. Something twinged in his chest at the thought of this being _ his _ quarters instead, her nestled safely in blankets that smelled of her Alpha.  
  
_ Stop, when did you get sentimental, she’s not yours, remember? _ _  
_ _  
_ “Hux?”  
  
“Nothing, I’m just exhausted.” Which wasn’t a lie. He stripped down to his black boxers and crawled under the covers with her. She immediately nuzzled into his chest and hummed with contentment. It was truly like a dream. If someone had told him not even 48 hours ago that in two days he’d be cuddling with an Omega he would have called them mad.  
  
_ No, I’m not mad, it’s *this* that is madness. _ _ Absolute kriffing madness._  
  
  
And he found he was quite enjoying it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments with thoughts & (kind) criticisms! This is my first a/b/o fic so I hope I'm doing it right!
> 
> mtfbwy!
> 
> Next Chapter:  
Something unexpected happens, and Hux breaks the rules  
Kylo is not nice but nicer than we thought?  
We head out to Broest


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to use the rest of this fic to fix Ep IX, The Rise of Skywalker. 
> 
> They did our space ginger wrong, but don't worry- Escha is going to save him <3 I promise  
\-- Followers and people who have it bookmarked, I added something to the beginning of the first chapter <3 Please go read it and let me know what you think!-- #SaveSpaceGinger

Something was tickling his cheek. Hux twitched his face, hoping it would stop, but with his next inhale it happened again. Somewhere in his groggy mind he knew it was late in the afternoon and that he shouldn’t be sleeping at all. Something, though, was decidedly _ different _ . He tensed at the feeling of someone moving in his arms and as he came to, the events of the day rushed back into his consciousness.   
  
Escha had her back to him, dainty fingers wrapped around the arm he’d draped over her waist. A rogue blonde hair was brushing against his face where he’d nuzzled into her.   
  
_ So it wasn’t a dream after all. _   
  
He gently pulled his arm free to tuck the lock of hair behind her ear before he settled in beside her. He returned his hand to her waist, letting it slowly drift down to her hip, pausing to feel every little scar.   
  
_ Warrior, Omega, mine… no not mine, stop that, you can’t. _ Of course Ren’s voice would manage to irritate him in the middle of what was supposed to be an enjoyable moment. A soft moan interrupted his train of thought.   
  
“Mmm… Hux…” Escha pressed herself into him, shimmying back as close as she could till they were skin to skin.He kissed her shoulder and she hummed in approval, shifting against him yet again. The more he shook free the cobwebs of sleep the more the Alpha awoke inside him. The peak of his rut was beginning to set in, evident by how... responsive... he was to the slightest of her movements.   
  
He trailed kisses up to her neck, the last one nipping the delicate skin behind her ear with his teeth. She whimpered at the sensation and he growled softly in response. He slowly rolled her onto her stomach as he continued toying with her, lips dancing just at the edge of the smooth bonding area on her neck. He spread her legs with his knee and positioned himself, growling again as the head of his cock brushed against the slick at her entrance. A needy whine escaped as she tried to push herself back onto him.   
  
To be genuinely wanted in such a way was a rush, his head buzzing with more than just pheromones. He covered her with his body, teasing again at her entrance as he nibbled at her neck, voice soft as he whispered in her ear. _ “Do you want your Alpha again?” _   
  
All she could do was nod.   
  
“Say it.”   
  
“Hux, Alpha, _ please _ , I _ need _ you.”   
  
He moved slowly at first, the head of his swollen cock barely dipping into the wet heat that she presented. He took his time, savoring the way she felt as he eventually buried his length inside her, relishing the way she smelled, the way she sounded as he had her for the second time. It only took a few of these slow thrusts till she reached behind with one hand, nails digging into his shoulder to pull him down onto her, wanting to feel him against her as she came. He obliged and let his weight fall onto her, gently biting the muscle on the side of her neck as he felt her flutter around him.   
  
The sensation made her come even harder, whispering breathy obscenities, “ _ Oh, oh fuck Hux I oh, oh stars, oh you’re perfect, you’re, fuck, oh Hux, alpha, alpha alpha alpha!!!!…..” _   
  
She whined in disapproval when he pulled himself free.   
  
“Roll over, I want to see you.” Somehow, he managed to keep his crisp accent, managing to fake that he was more in control than he was.   
  
He repositioned himself above, and noted every little microexpression as he took his time pressing into her. It wasn’t an uncontrollable desire to fuck like his ruts usually were; now that he had an Omega to take him, his senses seemed hypersensitive, observing the intimate way she grabbed his hand as he moved, the shudder in her breathing as he fully buried himself inside her.   
  
It was the way the end of his name disappeared into a sigh on her lips, completely lost in enjoying every inch of him, though, that made his pace quicken.   
  
Soon sloppy kisses were exchanged between gasping for breath as they moved, each trying desperately to get as much of the other as they could.   
  
Hux grabbed her thigh to adjust her hips, the new position allowing him to put some of his weight behind every thrust. The animal in him wanted to be as deep inside her as possible… and the adjustment worked all too perfectly. She cried out as he hit that perfect spot inside her, tightening around him almost instantly. He pushed on through her orgasm as she writhed beneath him, and as she came again his knot grew till he couldn’t withdraw anymore, his hips stuttering as he swelled inside her.   
  
“Hux, it’s too much, I, ah!”   
  
“Ssh, you’re fine, you take me perfectly, you’re good, _ so _ good, you’ll take all of me, you’ll take everything for your Alpha.” _ No, not her Alpha, not your Omega. _   
  
It was like time froze-   
  
The thought of some other Alpha seeing her like this, tasting her, _ claiming _ her was too much to bear. He’d blame it on the rut, but he knew he did it because he wanted to, because he coveted her with a desire so potent that even his legendary self-control couldn’t hold it back. Hell, he told himself he _ deserved _ her above all others. He was an Alpha, but not some mindless animal, she’d never find anyone else like him. Without a shred of remorse he lunged down and sunk his teeth into the tender skin just behind her jaw, claiming her as his own.   
  
** _My Omega._ **   
  
Escha wailed at the unexpected pain, nails digging into his back as she cried out. But there was no fear, no anger- rather than push him away she turned her head even further, giving him better access to the most sensitive area of an Omega. He bit down again and again, and _ again _ , while doing his best to push his knot that much deeper. The claim unlocked something inside her and the climax was like nothing she’d ever experienced. Her limbs felt numb and tingly, her consciousness distant; all that existed at that moment was the core of her and the way it felt as Hux took her for his own.   
  
The powerful contractions milked his knot, stars at the edge of his vision as he pumped into her. She could feel that new tightness, not just from the way he was swollen inside her, but how she stretched to accommodate everything he had to give.   
  
He let himself collapse on top of her, panting in her ear, the occasional tremors running through his body in the aftershock of orgasm. She caught his lips in a bloody kiss, taking his face in both hands, separating just long enough to whisper,   
  
_ “My Alpha” _   
  
  
Hux was half waiting to wake up from a dream- He’d expected to die celibate, bonded to the First Order, never would he expect to have a force-sensitive Omega as his mate… the realization made his heart sing in his chest.   
  
He gently rolled her to the side, her leg draped over him as he held her tightly, running his fingers through her hair.   
  
  
Escha’s mind was struggling to pull itself out of a daze. _ Claimed, I’m claimed. The General of the First Order is mine, my Alpha, we can do so much together. _ _   
_ _   
_ There was a tiny alarm going off in the back of her mind, telling her something was _ wrong _ about all this, that there was something she should know, but in that moment she chalked it up to paranoia, to a life lived on guard 24/7.   
  
He’d knot her four more times before they finally collapsed for the evening, exhausted, to fall into a deep sleep in each other’s arms, both afraid (yet desperately hoping) that this what was love really was.   
-  
-  
  
Usually, Hux barely even needed his alarm clock, already drifting into consciousness by the time his alarms pinged. This time it was the chime of her door alarm that woke him. He did his best to move without waking her, fumbling around for his scattered clothing to regain some form of decency. Before he could see who it was the doors opened to reveal Kylo Ren standing behind them, looking entirely too amused.   
  
“General Hux, I thought I might find you here. We’re waiting for you. The meeting started ten minutes ago.”   
  
“Sith hells, what time is it?! I sent off for… oh… oh I see you have it, thank you.” Ren had arrived with the clean uniform under his arm. He had no doubt that on some level Kylo had engineered this to embarrass him.   
  
“So it worked, then?”   
  
“Yes, the heat is dissipating, everything should be fine by tomorrow’s launch.”   
  
“Now, aren’t you glad I didn’t send someone else?” Again, that smug look that so grated on the General’s nerves.   
  
“I’ll join you shortly, _ Ren.” _ with a jab at the console he closed the doors in the Supreme Leader’s face.   
  
She thought she was going to be sick.   
  
Escha now remembered what that little alarm was referring to- “ _ I’m not a kriffing machine, Hux.” _ She knew it was about the mission all along, but in her heat-addled state she’d chosen to forget it. But why the claiming? Why take it so far? She summoned her robe from the floor, tying it tightly around her as if the thin strip of fabric might keep her heart from breaking, too.   
  
Hux was struggling to get a boot on when her voice startled him.   
  
“What are _ you _ still doing here? My heat has passed, you’ve served your purpose. Now get out.”   
  
He looked up, completely bewildered and a little hurt as he stuttered for a response. “Escha, I- we- the meeting, ah, I have to go but-”   
  
“If you’re still creeping about by the time I’m done showering I’ll snap your neck just like I did that other Alpha yesterday. I have no further use for you.”   
  
Escha rushed to the refresher and hit the sonic once, twice, three times, obliterating any scent of him, but that wasn’t enough. She flipped the water as hot as she could stand, wanting to burn every trace of his touch from her skin.   
  
The words circled in her head, louder than the water rushing down around her. It was all an assignment, _ she _ was an assignment.   
  
_ So it worked, then. Fine by tomorrow. Aren’t you glad I didn’t send someone else. _   
  
“All these years fighting, so close to my goal, just to get played at the finish line, it’s… it’s not kriffing fair!” She punched the wall, red blossoming across her knuckles as she slid to the floor, curling up in a ball and sobbing as the water poured down.   
  
  
Hux lingered for a moment, hoping to catch her, but time was something he was already out of. Her reaction took him completely by surprise. Surely she didn’t just use him? The claiming was on him, and he admittedly felt a little guilty for not discussing it with her first, in a clear minded state. But then, maybe she only wanted him because of the heat? Was that the _ real _ Escha he saw this morning? Perhaps bonds meant nothing to force sensitives.   
  
The thought turned his stomach, to think that he’d finally found an Omega worth bonding, for it all to be meaningless. Sadness quickly embittered itself to anger.   
  
_ Of course the kriffing force would rob me of that, too. _

  
He burst through the doors to see everyone sitting silently waiting for him, Kylo was slouched at the head of the table with the corners of his mouth upturned in the slightest of grins.   
  
  
  
Hux wanted to tear his fucking face off.   
  
  
  
  
  
He was completely off-kilter for the meeting. It was policy that a newly bonded pair was given a week’s leave to be with each other- not for romantic reasons of course, but because the fresh bond made them absolutely useless, as was glaringly apparent today. That, combined with the tail end of his rut made him incredibly irritable. Even without the bonding he normally would have had an extra day to settle himself.   
  
_ I didn’t take my damn suppressants this morning either, stars today is an absolute disaster. _   
  
Kylo’s voice interrupted his frustrated internal dialogue. “General Hux? I said, there’s ten days left on your new Starkiller count down. How is it coming along?”   
  
“My current progress is irrelevant, I’ll either have it in ten days, or I won’t. You’ll get your answer then, won’t you?”   
  
Everyone at the table noticeably recoiled at the way he snapped at their Supreme Leader. Kylo’s lip twitched, but instead of rising to his temper, he let it wash over him.   
  
“I suppose you’re right, General. I am intrigued to see what awaits me.”   
  
Hux was unmoved by Kylo’s moment of patience. He was tired, incredibly sore in muscles he didn’t even realize he had, and he wanted to find out why Escha was so hateful. She wasn’t just angry, she was upset; he could feel it through the wakening bond and it made him anxious. All he wanted to was tend to his Omega.   
  
** _My_ ** _ Omega. Shit. Kylo can’t know, but how long will that last? Kriff kriff kriff don’t think about it.   
_ _   
_  
It was barely even two hours before she made sure Kylo knew.  
  
  
“You had _ no kriffing right! _ ” Escha’s voice split through the hushed murmur of the bridge as she stormed towards the cluster of people at the head of it.   
  
Hux tensed, Peavey sneered, and Kylo simply arched an eyebrow at the disturbance. Before he could open his mouth to speak she slapped him across the face as hard as she could. The bold action lit a fire in his eyes and as he moved to force choke her, she pulled her hood back to reveal the trail of burgundy and purple teeth marks down her neck. The secret was out- now there was no way to deny that his right hand was an Omega; and one that had hidden her designation, at that.   
  
Kylo’s face softened. He reached out to gently run a finger down the side of her neck but she flinched away from him. “You should have muzzled that _ cur _ . This wasn’t supposed to happen.”   
  
“I’ll never forgive you for this, Ren.”   
  
His face darkened at the threat. “I wasn’t needlessly cruel, Escha. I knew how you felt about him. Being in a room with you both at the same time is almost unbearable, it’s all I can hear.”   
  
She blushed and her eyes darted to Hux, only to see him looking away.   
  
_ He’s probably only worried for himself, stupid stupid stupid Omega!! You're an idiot! Such an idiot!_  
  
“This isn’t over.” She pulled her hood up and stormed from the bridge, unable to stand being in his presence for a second longer, the shame heavy enough that it felt like she was being crushed.   
  
  
“I’ll return shortly.” Hux went to follow after her but Kylo put an arm out, hitting his chest to stop him.   
  
“And where is it that you’re going?”   
  
“Supreme Leader, I need to tend to _ my _ Omega.”   
  
Before Kylo could say anything, Peavey lunged forward with a growl, jabbing an index finger at the floor to accentuate his point. “This is out- _ rageous! _ There are severe repercussions for anyone caught lying about their designation. There’s a procedure to this, and you of all people should know that General Hux as _ you’re _ the one that wrote it!”   
  
Rather than an artful insinuation of threats or a verbal dressing down as he preferred, Hux growled and approached Peavey until he was uncomfortably close, forcing the man to take a half step back. “Escha Tau is _ my _ Omega. There is nothing more to be said on the matter.” he spat.   
  
“Lest you forget, General Hux, when an Omega is deceitful they forfeit the right to find a mate on their own and are _assigned_ an Alpha. You can’t simply take matters into your own hands, even _ you _ are not above the rules.”   
  
Hux narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, tilting his head back just enough to look down his nose. “Would you challenge me, Peavey?” the General’s unsuppressed scent smelled of dominance, aggression, and an eerie _e__xcitement _ at the prospect of fighting.   
  
“That’s not what I’m saying, sir, that’s quite a drastic leap.” His voice had lost its edge, unsure of how to handle this new version of Hux that was staring him down with a wicked gleam in his eye.   
  
“I think that’s _ exactly _ what you were saying, Captain- but at the realization you’d be dead before you hit the ground, you’ve decided to back track.”   
  
He growled at the accusation and Hux pressed even closer. “Say it. Challenge me. Do it. Do. It.” The tension in the room had reached a feverpitch when the moment was broken by an ensign.   
  
“General Hux, sir, there is a … disturbance… in Medical.”   
  
Kylo was watching the scene with amusement, but didn’t want things to go so far as to jeopardize their strategy for Broest. “Hux, go investigate, it seems _ your _ Omega is causing some problems…”


End file.
